Stressful life events can trigger inflammatory responses in the brain, and chronic inflammation may be a risk factor for the development of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. The study suggests that periods of life such as “midlife” or childhood may be critical, more sensitive periods when exposure to stress may have a more significant impact on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Around fifty million people worldwide suffer from dementia, and by 2050 this figure could well triple. According to a Spanish study, stress is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially if several stressful events occurred during middle age and childhood.
People who experience stressful situations throughout their lives may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. To reach this conclusion, the authors of a study published in Annals of Neurology relied on 1,290 participants, volunteers without cognitive impairment at the time of the study, but with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. They were asked about the presence of stressful events during their life (death of a loved one, period of unemployment, illness, etc.), their frequency and age at the time of their experience. Researchers from the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) also conducted clinical trials (lumbar punctures and MRI) to discover biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease.
These are times when we are more sensitive to stress
After analyzing all this data, the researchers found that the accumulation of stressful experiences in midlife is associated with higher levels of protein β-amyloid (Aβ), which plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. ” We know that middle age is a time when pathology Alzheimer’s disease begins to accumulate. It is possible that these years represent a vulnerable time when psychological stress can have lasting effects on brain health. ” said Eleni Palpatsis, ISGlobal researcher and first author of the study in a press release.
The period of childhood should also be monitored. Experiencing stressful events at a young age may be associated with a higher risk of developing neuroinflammation later in life. ” L’inflammation recognized as a key molecular response in neurodegenerative diseases and these findings are consistent with new evidence suggesting that childhood trauma is associated with increased inflammation in adulthood. “.
Differences between men and women
Researchers also found that the effects of stressful experiences may differ by gender. In men, more stressful events were associated with higher protein levels. beta-amyloid (Aβ), the accumulation of which is noted a starting point diseases. In women there was a decrease volume from matter gray in brain. Gray matter is made up of nerve cells and plays a crucial role in our cognitive functions such as reading, calculation, attention and memory.
Individuals with a history of mental disorders were found to be more susceptible to the effects of stressful life events. These people have higher levels of stress associated with increased levels of the proteins beta-amyloid and tau, a protein that is found in abundance in people with Alzheimer’s disease, contributing to its development. Additionally, these participants had smaller gray matter volumes.
Limitations of the study
However, this study has certain limitations. Research has shown that using participants’ memory when remembering stressful events can skew the results. Moreover, measuring stress does not necessarily take into account the personal impact it has or gravity events.
” Our study supports the idea that stress may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and provides initial evidence of the mechanisms behind this effect, but more research is needed to replicate and confirm our initial findings. ” says Eider Arenaza-Urquijo.
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