People with chronic stress and anxiety are at an increased risk of developing depression and even dementia, a new research has shown.
When the researchers noticed that mental illness is aggravated by stress, they aimed to address the question of whether anxiety damages the brain and whether they could identify mechanisms behind the connection between stress and mental illness.
For their research, the tem - led by Dr. Linda Mah of the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences in Canada reviewed animal and human studies that examined brain areas affected by chronic anxiety, fear and stress that are already published. They reported finding "extensive overlap" of the brain's neurocircuitry in all three conditions, which they said may justify the link between chronic stress and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and Alzheimer's disease.
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Occasional and temporary fear and stress is normal part of life. This is common among people to feel stressed and anxious before a job interview or an exam. However, when these reactions become chronic or frequent, they can affect daily lives and interfere with work, school and relationships.
Chronic stress is a pathological state. It is caused by stress causing disruption on immune, metabolic and cardiovascular systems, which leads to decay of the brain's hippocampus (crucial for long-term memory and spatial navigation).
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Dr. Linda Mah, clinician scientist with Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute and lead author of the review said:
"Pathological anxiety and chronic stress are associated with structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.”
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Dr. Mah and colleagues focused on key structures in the neurocircuitry of fear and anxiety – amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus. These brain areas are impacted during chronic stress. The researchers noted similar patterns of abnormal brain activity with fear, anxiety and chronic stress – specifically an overactive amygdala (associated with emotional responses) and an under-active PFC (thinking areas of the brain that help regulate emotional responses through cognitive appraisal).
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This see-saw relationship was first identified in a landmark study by world-renowned neurologist and depression researcher Dr. Helen Mayberg over a decade ago.
However, Dr. Mah also suggests that damage to the hippocampus and PFC as a result of stress can be reversible. She said that both anti-depressant treatment and physical activity have both shown promise in increasing hippocampal neurogenesis.
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The researchers conclude their study by writing:
"Whether anti-anxiety interventions can reduce risk of developing neuropsychiatric illness needs to be established with longitudinal studies."
The paper is posted online this month in the journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry.
