Scientists confirm that stress deprives the brain of the ability to resist dementia 20:56

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that stress depletes the brain’s cognitive reserve, thus increasing the risk of developing dementia. Research results published In the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Scientists have explained that cognitive reserve is the brain’s ability to cope with the consequences of damage and find new ways to solve problems. Cognitive reserve accumulates throughout a person’s life and serves as protection against attention and memory disorders.

In a study of 113 people, the team found that depletion of cognitive reserve can lead to dangerous consequences. In the first phase, researchers assessed participants’ stress levels using special tests and collected saliva samples from them to measure their cortisol levels. This is a hormone that helps a person actively adapt to changing environmental conditions and also regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure in moments of high emotional and physical stress.

In the second part of the study, participants were given a series of tests to assess mental ability and cognitive reserve. The results showed that greater cognitive reserve may reduce the risk of developing dementia. However, subjective (emotional) and physiological stress (increased cortisol levels) deplete cortisol levels, leading to memory and attention problems.

Scientists have explained that people with increased levels of physiological stress in the morning are more likely to experience an increase in the concentration of tau protein in the brain. This protein has the ability to form “plaques” that interfere with the functioning of neurons. A decrease in the level of cortisol in the morning negatively affects alertness and learning, and an increase in the concentration of this hormone in the body in the evening leads to sleep problems. Poor sleep is a risk factor for dementia.

Earlier scientists stated About the increasing incidence of dementia among young people.