Introverted people, closed to experiencing new experiences, and who have no goals in life, are more at risk of developing dementia in old age. This is proven by the results of an international study published in the journal ‘Nature Mental Health’ and led by the University of Barcelona (UB), next to the Guttmann Institute.
The research, which has analyzed more than a thousand middle-aged and elderly adults, has identified three psychological profiles related to different patterns of cognitive and brain deterioration in aging. Specifically, it shows that the specific psychological characteristics of each profile could influence the risk of developing dementia, as well as aspects such as the speed of brain deterioration and the quality of sleep.
These findings open the door to the design of more personalized prevention strategies for the profiles with the highest risk of developing these conditions, as stated in statements to ABC. David Bartrés-Fazleader of the study and researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB, as well as a member of the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (Idibaps) and principal investigator of the ‘Barcelona Brain Health Initiative’ (BBHI), an initiative of the Guttmann Institute which aims to know and understand how we can maintain brain health over time.
The research results underline “the need to carry out comprehensive psychological evaluations of patients to identify the different psychological profiles and, thus, allow the implementation of more specific behavior change strategies adapted to each individual,” says the specialist.
Recent research has detected psychological characteristics that may be associated with increased risk or protection against cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and clinical dementia. For example, having repetitive negative thoughts, the tendency to experience distress, and perceived stress are associated with increased risk, while having a sense of purpose in life or self-reflection would be protective factors facing this decline.
In this study, carried out based on the analysis of data from more than a thousand volunteers from the BBHI and international study Medit-Ageing the research team examined what happens if these factors (protective and risk) are combined into similar psychological profiles in two independent cohorts, with middle-aged adults and older people without cognitive impairment. “So far psychological risk and protective factors have been examined almost exclusively independently: this approach is limiting, as psychological characteristics do not exist in isolation,” he notes. Bartrés-Faz.
Next, we analyzed how belonging to each of these profiles is related to indicators of mental health, cognition, lifestyle and brain integrity (measured by cortical thickness), as well as with cognitive and mental development. brain atrophy over time. “The objective has been to elucidate how various combinations of psychological characteristics are related to mental, cognitive and brain health,” explains the expert from the University of Barcelona and the Guttmann Institute.
According to the results, having a psychological profile “well balanced”, with moderately high protective factors and moderately low risk factors, it is related to better cognitive and mental health in all the indicators measured and age ranges studied. On the other hand, people with a psychological profile with low levels of protection, that is, “people who do not have a sense of purpose in life, that is, they have no plans in life, who are more introverted and closed to new experiences “They have a low score in cognitive function (levels of memory, attention, etc…), a more pronounced brain atrophy (already observable in middle-aged adults) and less adherence to healthy lifestyles.” “These people are at greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases in old age, but it does not mean that they will suffer from them,” Bartrés clarifies in statements to this newspaper.
Preventive interventions
Finally, the third profile identified, characterized by high levels of negative or risk psychological traits, such as a high propensity for distress and negative thoughts, “may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia through a psychoaffective route, which includes the expression of symptoms such as depression, anxiety, cognitive complaints, loneliness and sleep disorders,” says the researcher.
«In this last profile, the cognitive performance is not as bad as in the previous group, but they also have a higher risk than the first group of suffering from neurodegenerative diseases in old age,” says the expert, who emphasizes the importance of these results in order to “realizepreventive interventions in risk groups to reduce it.
“For example, people with traits compatible with the psychological profile with low levels of protective factors could benefit more from psychological therapies that include the identification or re-identification of valued behaviors and life purposes, such as acceptance and commitment therapy,” he points out. Bartres-Faz.
“On the other hand, – adds the researcher – people who meet the criteria of the third identified profile could have a better response to therapies aimed at reducing symptoms related to anxiety, which have also recently been shown to carry a potential benefit,” continues the researcher. researcher. In this sense, the article highlights the importance of carrying out «comprehensive psychological evaluations, that include the analysis of both risk and protective factors, in order to more accurately estimate the risk profile of each person.
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