Mind before matter: do negative thoughts increase risk of Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London have proposed that repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a common symptom of many psychological disorders, may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Until recently, research into Alzheimer's disease has focused on how physical factors are linked to the onset of symptoms. However, scientists at the IoPPN suggest that there are psychological factors that make a person more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease; and that these factors occur before any physical indicators of the disease emerge. In an article published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease , the researchers argue that a habit of negative thinking over a prolonged period of time (RNT) can have a harmful effect on the brain's capacity to think, reason and form memories. RNT is a common behaviour in people suffering from depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and life stress; which are themselves associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's. RNT can occur without us being consciously aware of it and consumes our finite capacity of brain resources. Importantly, RNT also triggers a physical stress response in the brain, which over a prolonged period of time may cause damage and reduce the brain's resilience to Alzheimer's disease.