May 14, 2024, 1:06 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Alzheimer is an incurable degenerative nerve disease and the most common form of dementia. Memory and orientation disorders are characteristic of this disease, which usually occurs later in life. A Spanish study now shows that certain childhood events can promote the development of Alzheimer’s.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with 60 to 70 percent of cases attributed to Alzheimer’s.1 The disease typically accumulates in the age group over 65, but in very rare cases, children can also be affected (FITBOOK reported). Apparently, certain childhood events can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life, as a study shows.
Follow the FITBOOK channel on WhatsApp now!
Overview
Researchers recruited 1,290 participants
The Spanish cross-sectional cohort includes 1,290 participants who were genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s but were cognitively unimpaired at the time of the study.2 They are a subgroup of the larger Alfa study, which aims to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s to develop prevention strategies.3 At the time of data collection, participants were between 48 and 77 years old.
The authors pursued evidence of the role of chronic stress in the development of Alzheimer’s. They wanted to know if there is a connection between stressful life events and Alzheimer’s-related changes in the body. The results of their observations were published in the journal “Annals of Neurology.”
What was examined?
The research team looked at 18 predefined life events and when they occurred in the participants’ lives. These included:
- Death of mother or father
- Death of a close person
- Parents’ divorce
- Terminated pregnancy
- Serious illness
- Unemployment
- Financial loss
Furthermore, the study authors took samples of cerebrospinal fluid from some participants (393 people) to examine them for abnormal proteins–amyloid and tau. These proteins can clump together in the brain and trigger Alzheimer’s.
Additionally, signs of brain inflammation, which likely contribute to disease development, and the volume of gray matter in the brain were part of the investigations. The gray matter is significant for thinking and processing information and decreases in people with Alzheimer’s.
Childhood events shape brain development
The result: Stressful life events in childhood and middle age–but not in older age–were associated with biomarkers indicating Alzheimer’s (abnormal amyloid and tau).
The authors conclude from the presence of biomarkers that childhood and middle age are phases when the effects of stress on brain development are particularly strong. Middle age is the time when Alzheimer’s biomarkers accumulate in the brain. The researchers speculate that this might be why this life stage is also a vulnerable time.
Women and those with psychiatric preconditions showed less gray matter
In analyzing their data, the researchers further divided participants by gender and psychiatric disorders throughout life to uncover specific differences.
Overall, the life events were not associated with a reduction in the participants’ gray matter. For participants with a history of mental disorders, stressful life events were also linked to Alzheimer’s biomarkers, brain inflammation, and reduced gray matter. Possible reasons for this are that such individuals are more susceptible to the effects of critical life events, or the disorder itself may trigger the experience of a stress event. Supporting this hypothesis is that these participants also reported more stress events than those without mental disorders.
Differences were also found between genders. In women, stressful life events were associated with a reduction in gray matter, but not in men. Conversely, in men, stressful life events were linked to tau biomarkers, but not in women. The authors explain these differences by noting that women and men react to stress differently, both psychologically and biologically.
Also interesting: 6 foods that slow down aging
Type 2 diabetes causes the brain to shrink, according to study
Children with a high BMI may have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life
Limitations of the study
The researchers had to rely on participants remembering stressful events in their past and when they occurred. The assessment of how stressful an event was for the individual was also subjective, and the list of 18 events might be incomplete. It is also important to emphasize that markers were examined that indicate the development of the disease. It is not known who actually developed Alzheimer’s after the study concluded.
Outlook
These results suggest that there are certain periods in life that amplify the effects of stressful life events on brain development in connection with Alzheimer’s disease, at least for individuals at higher risk. Future research should focus on examining stressful life events in the context of mental illnesses and gender. The study authors further emphasize that psychosocial interventions can be a strategy to improve stress resilience and stress management strategies. This is especially true for people who have been (are) exposed to very critical life events and are at risk of cognitive decline. In the future, it will be important to identify and refine risk profiles of individuals who would benefit most from such interventions.