Can Chronic Stress Lead to Cognitive Changes and Dementia?
- Karen McPhail
- Jun 11
- 1 min read
Stress is often missed as a key component of dementia prevention! It is important for clinicians to be active listeners and change agents!
In a recent review paper, (link below), they summarize how chronic stress is a hidden and often disregarded, yet powerful factor underlying cognitive aging, and the speed in which cognitive performance may change and slow with age.
Stress clearly impacts one's cognitive health in part because one's behavioral, psychological, and biological responses to everyday stressors are closely intertwined - each amplify and interact with the other. Loneliness which is a national epidemic is a stressor for many as well as other stressful experiences across aging such as financial insecurity, housing, support, access to care, and more! Chromic stress and lack of support and respite for caregivers is also a significant challenge which is often overlooked. Common stressful experiences and how we react and cope with these overtime can significantly impact holistic health and wellness, sleep, activity, diet, and other healthy behaviors, creating a dysfunctional cycle and making it harder to cope with stressful experiences. Overtime when we overwork and overtax our system it leads to complex challenges.
This is why care managers are critical for those aging to help in breaking cycles and fostering a positive and healthy path forward.
As clinicians we are also finding research wise that mindfulness and mantra based meditation can be very helpful in terms of cognitive health. Something to explore! Prevention and proactive planning is always the key to success!
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