Brain experts find Alzheimer's disease and dementia linked to stress in early life

A new study suggests that traumatic life events, such as divorce or bereavement, could increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The research found that individuals who had experienced significant trauma at a young age were more likely to show symptoms of the disease than those who had not.

This was discovered by analysing spinal fluid samples from participants, revealing that those with higher stress levels had more proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease in their bodies. However, this correlation only applied if the stressful events occurred during childhood or middle age.

Despite extensive research and around 50 million people around the world currently living with Alzheimer's, the exact cause of the disease remains unknown. There is some evidence suggesting it could be genetic, while other studies point towards environmental factors.

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What is known, however, is that when someone is developing Alzheimer's, their body starts producing significantly more of two types of proteins - amyloid and tau, reports the Express. In a recent study, published in the American Neurological Association's Annals of Neurology, Spanish researchers have found that stressful events early or mid-life can lead to higher amounts of amyloid and tau in the spinal fluid. The study is entitled Lifetime Stressful Events Associated with Alzheimer's Pathologies, Neuroinflammation and Brain Structure in a Risk Enriched Cohort and is available to view here.

Carol Opdebeeck, a senior lecturer in psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, has highlighted in The Conversation that "stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or divorce, put a person at greater risk of developing dementia in later life".

She notes that anxiety, which often follows stressful situations, is not only common but also detrimental to physical health. Dr Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, further explains that stress prompts an immune response similar to that of an injury, causing inflammation that can speed up the ageing process.

Additionally, the team behind the research indicated that stress could lead to the release of glucocorticoids, steroids that, in large quantities, have the potential to harm brain cells. However, despite these insights, the researchers have underlined the necessity for more studies to fully grasp the consequences of life stress on the possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The NHS website has further information about the possible causes of Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Society has advice and guidance about reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.