Stress and Anxiety Can Lead to Cognitive Decline

Stress is known to be something that can cause health problems such as headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, upset stomach, and sleep problems, among others. A new study has revealed that people with high-stress levels are more likely to experience a decline in cognitive function, affecting their ability to remember, concentrate and learn new things.

The research was recently published in JAMA Network Open and aimed to determine the association between perceived stress and cognitive decline. This is important because stress has long-term physiological and psychological consequences and has been shown to be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The analytical sample included 24,448 participants, where 59.9% were women, and 40.1% were middle-aged men between 45 and 98 years of age. 41.6% of the participants were black, and 58.4% were white. These were recruited between 2003 and 2007, with annual follow-up continuing until 2021, when statistical analysis began.

The publication emphasizes perceived stress. The National Institute of Mental Health describes stress as “the physical or mental response to an external cause, such as having too many tasks or having an illness.” The study defines perceived stress as a consequence of events or demands exceeding an individual’s capacity to cope.

For the study authors, perceived stress can have long-term physiological and psychological consequences and is a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. This is associated with hormonal and inflammatory indicators of accelerated aging and the excessive risk of cardiovascular and stroke morbidity and mortality. Additionally, it contributes to worsening harmful behaviors such as smoking, physical inactivity, and reduced medication compliance.

The study participants with the highest perceived stress were the youngest, female, and African-American. They were less likely to have a college degree, had a lower family income level, and lived in the southeastern states of the United States, where stroke rates are the highest in this country.

There is evidence that stress hormones can influence cognition, especially when someone experiences a stressful event that can affect the immediate level of awareness or the ability to perform cognitively challenging tasks. According to the research, those with high levels were 37% more likely to have poor cognition. Furthermore, chronic stress causes the loss of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, where inhibition of the stress response is involved. This impairs higher cognitive functions such as memory.

Another essential aspect that affects memory and cognitive decline is anxiety. This state of heightened alertness is associated with increased general sensory sensitivity due to uncertainty or conflict. A characteristic feature of anxiety is limited control over worrying thoughts and attentional biases, contributing to increased concentration on negative stimuli.

In another study published in Frontiers in Psychology, anxiety has been shown to impair cognitive performance and memory. Their relationship works like a cycle; cognitive decline causes increased stress which causes further decay, and so on. The greater the anxiety, the more disturbance it causes.

Regarding the cognitive effects, it seems that stress and anxiety behave similarly. However, moderate pressure can improve cognitive performance, while lower and higher levels are associated with decreased performance.

Increased anxiety relates to poorer memory performance in all paradigms and task contents. According to research, anxiety negatively correlates with verbal memory and continuous performance task performance.

The chances of developing Alzheimer’s are higher for people with a family history, but it is not the only risk factor. Stress and anxiety are one of these factors, so finding ways to detect and treat stressors in the environment is the best way to prevent the disease, just like dementia. Still, more studies are needed to rigorously test the association of chronic stress with cognitive decline at different points in the life cycle and in racially and ethnically diverse groups.

Translation by Daniel Wetta

Paulette Delgado

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0