Anxiety May Speed Up Progression to Alzheimer Disease

Anxiety appears to expedite the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer disease (AD), according to new findings presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s Annual Meeting.

These findings emerged from a study of 339 patients (mean age 72 years) who were part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 cohort. All patients included in the study had a diagnosis of MCI at baseline.

The volumes of the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex were measured at baseline via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients were tested for the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) allele. Clinical surveys were used to measure anxiety.

A total of 72 patients had progressed to AD, and the remaining 267 did not. Those whose MCI had progressed to AD were found to have significantly lower hippocampus and entorhinal cortex volumes, as well as a more common occurrence of the ApoE4 allele. Ultimately, the results of the study indicated that anxiety had an independent association with cognitive decline.

“The geriatric population is routinely screened for depression in many hospitals, but perhaps this vulnerable population should also be assessed for anxiety disorders," said the study’s first author, Jenny L. Ulber, in a press release. "Middle-aged and elderly individuals with high level of anxiety may benefit from intervention, whether it be pharmacological or cognitive behavioral therapy, with the goal of slowing cognitive decline.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:
Anxiety associated with faster Alzheimer’s disease onset. News release. Radiological Society of North America. November 24, 2020. Accessed November 24, 2020. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anxiety-associated-with-faster-alzheimers-disease-onset-301177925.html