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Chronic stress, anxiety may increase risk for depression, dementia

Chronic stress and anxiety may increase risk for depression and dementia, according to a review in Current Opinion Psychiatry.

“Pathological anxiety and chronic stress are associated with structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia,” Linda Mah, MD, MHSc, of University of Toronto, and colleagues wrote.

Mah and colleagues reviewed recent studies on stress and fear conditioning in animal models and neuroimaging studies on stress and anxiety in healthy individuals. They assessed structures of neurocircuitry of fear and anxiety in the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus that are affected by chronic stress.

They noted similar patterns of abnormal brain activity when experiencing fear and anxiety and chronic stress — increased activity in the amygdala and decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex.

“Looking to the future, we need to do more work to determine whether interventions, such as exercise, mindfulness training and cognitive behavioral therapy, can not only reduce stress but decrease the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders,” Mah said in a press release. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.