The study also tested anxiety and depression levels and found more cognitive decline in depressed and anxious people who previously reflected the research.

However, in depressed and anxious people, tau and amyloid deposits have not increased, directing researchers to suspect repeated negative thoughts may be the main reason why depression and anxiety contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

“We expect chronic negative thinking models to increase the risk of dementia for a long time, among other studies linking depression and anxiety to the risk of dementia.” Said.

The founder of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic is neurologist Dr. “This is the first study to demonstrate the biological relationship between repetitive negative thinking and Alzheimer’s pathology, and offers doctors a more precise way to assess risk and offer more personalized adapted interventions.” Said. At NYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center, not included in the study.

“Many people at risk are not aware of the direct negative effects of anxiety and rumination on the brain,” Isaacson, the trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, financed the research to better understand and alleviate age-related cognitive decline. .

“This study is important and will change how I take care of my patients at risk.”

More studies are needed

“It is important to note that this did not say that a short-term negative thinking period will cause Alzheimer’s disease,” said Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research fellow at the Alzheimer’s Association in London. Said. “We need more research to better understand this.”

“Most of the people in the study have already been found to be at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, so we will have to see if these results are echoing in the general population,” said Alzheimer’s disease itself. “

Researchers suggest that mental training practices such as meditation can help improve positive thinking while reducing negative thoughts and are planning to test future studies. their hypothesis.

Co-author of Inserm / Université de Caen-Normandie. “Our thoughts can have a biological effect, which can be positive or negative on our physical health,” said Gael Chételat.

“Taking care of your mental health is important and should be an important public health priority, as it can affect your risk of not only people’s health and well-being in the short term, but also your ultimate dementia.” .

Looking to the bright side

“Optimists also tend to have better coping skills and are better problem solvers.” “They’re better when we anticipate proactive coping or problems and then proactively take steps to fix them.”

Train to be optimistic

By answering a series of statements, you can tell where you stand in the full or empty concept of the glasss It is called “life orientation test”.

The test says, “I believe in the idea that every cloud has a silver lining” and “If something goes wrong for me, it will happen.” You rate expressions from disagreement rather than disagree, and results can be added to determine your level of optimism or pessimism.

Another technique is to apply gratitude. Taking just a few minutes every day to write down what makes you thankful can improve your perspective on life. And while you’re there, list the positive experiences you had that day, which can increase your optimism.

“And finally we know that cognitive behavioral therapies are very effective treatments for depression; pessimism is on the way to depression,” said Rozanski.

“You can apply the same principles we do for depression like re-framing. You teach that there is an alternative way of thinking or re-framing negative thoughts, and you can make great progress with this pessimist.”