Dementia is one of the most common neurological conditions in the UK – and is on the rise, amid an ageing population. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK will have the condition by 2040, the Alzheimer’s Society says.
Another condition becoming more widespread is anxiety, with the Mental Health Foundation estimating over eight million cases in the UK currently.
But could these two conditions be linked?
According to a new study from the US, experiencing symptoms of anxiety could lead to a faster onset of Alzheimer’s.
Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) studied over 300 patients who had mild cognitive dysfunction with an average age of 72.
They used MRI scans, looking specifically at the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex regions of the brain, which are crucial in forming memories. These regions are also implicated in the development of neurodegenerative conditions.
Anxiety in the patients was also measured by a survey. Of the 339 patients, 72 progressed to develop Alzheimer’s.
The data showed that those who experienced anxiety symptoms developed Alzheimer’s much faster than those who did not, suggesting this was independently associated with the cognitive decline of patients.
Study author Dr Maria Vittoria Spampinato believes the findings show some progression in our understanding of the link between these two conditions; although it does not definitively prove that higher levels of anxiety will cause dementia.
“We don’t know yet if the anxiety is a symptom – in other words, their memory is getting worse and they become anxious – or if anxiety contributes to cognitive decline,” she said.
“If we were able in the future to find that anxiety is actually causing progression, then we should more aggressively screen for anxiety disorders in the elderly.”
Fellow author Jenny Ulber added: “Mild cognitive impairment patients with anxiety symptoms developed Alzheimer’s disease faster than individuals without anxiety, independently of whether they had a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease or brain volume loss,” she said.
This is not the first time anxiety in relation to cognitive decline has been studied, but results from all over the world have been mixed.
A 2016 study from Norway also looked at the link between dementia and anxiety but they recorded no significant results, saying anxiety levels in patients did not affect the levels of dementia severity.
Furthermore, neurologists in France conducted a 10 year study which monitored over 5,000 over 65-year-olds, assessing their cognitive decline and depressive symptoms every two years.
They found that those who experienced high anxiety levels were at a greater risk of developing dementia.
MUSC is now looking to further progress the study by studying multiple brain scans for each patient.
This will give them a better understanding of how fast the brain damage brought on by anxiety progresses.
Further development of this area of research could lead to changes in the way elderly patients with cognitive dysfunction are screened and treated.
“The geriatric population is routinely screened for depression in many hospitals, but perhaps this vulnerable population should also be assessed for anxiety disorders,” Ulber added.
“Middle-aged and elderly individuals with high levels of anxiety may benefit from intervention; whether it be pharmacological or cognitive behavioural therapy, with the goal of slowing cognitive decline.”
The findings of the study were presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting on November 29th.
