Stress may be negating your efforts to enhance and retain your cognitive reserve, according to a study recently published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association from the Karolinska Institutet finding that stress undermines the beneficial relationship between mentally stimulating activities and life experiences and cognitive fitness.
Building cognitive reserve
Research suggests that cognitively stimulating and enriching life experiences as well as some behaviors like achieving higher education, complex jobs, continued physical and leisure activities, and nurturing healthy social interactions can help to build a person’s cognitive reserve. However, persistent or high stress levels are associated with impaired ability to engage in leisure and physical activities, reduced social interactions, and an increased risk of dementia.
Previous research from the late1980s found that some individuals with no apparent symptoms of dementia during their lifetime experienced brain changes that were consistent with an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Since then it has been postulated that cognitive reserve might account for this differential protective effect in certain individuals.
Examining the association
This study examined the association between cognitive reserve, cognition, and the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease among 113 memory clinic participants, as well as how the association is modified by physiological stress measured via cortisol levels in saliva and perceived psychological stress.
Since stress disrupts sleep, which in turn disrupts cognition, sleeping medications were controlled for. However, other aspects of sleep that might impair cognition were not taken into consideration.
According to the researchers, greater cognitive reserve was found to improve cognition but physiological stress appeared to weaken the association. The findings from this study are generalizable to similar patient groups.
“These results might have clinical implications as an expanding body of research suggests that mindfulness exercises and meditation may reduce cortisol levels and improve cognition,” says the study’s lead author Manasa Shanta Yerramalla, researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. “Different stress management strategies could be a good complement to existing lifestyle interventions in Alzheimer’s prevention.”
“We will continue to study the association between stress and sleeping disorders and how it affects the cognitive reserve in memory clinic patients,” says Dr Yerramalla.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Content may be edited for style and length.
References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://news.ki.se/how-stress-knocks-out-your-cognitive-reserve
