How life’s most stressful events age our brain

A STRESSFUL life event has a devastating impact on the brain and can age it by at least four years, new research suggests.

Divorces, redundancies, bereavements and other common traumas can have a destructive impact on mental function, experts believe.

The impact is thought to accumulate, meaning several major episodes could age the brain by decades.

A growing body of evidence also points to stress in early life contributing to a greater risk of dementia.

Dr Carol Routledge, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “There is a growing realisation that events throughout life can impact the brain decades later.”

Experts also believe trauma could trigger inflammation inside the brain which accelerates dementia.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health interviewed 1,320 people with an average age of 58.

The findings, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London, have shed new light on the way our brains react to major life events.

Factors that could contribute to a difference in risk include education, poverty, stress and depression.

The study also revealed racial inequities in the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s, with African Americans most at risk.

On average they experience 60 per cent more stressful events than people from other races.

Dr Doug Brown, of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know prolonged stress can have an impact on our health so it’s no surprise this study indicates stressful life events may also affect our memory and thinking abilities later in life.

“However, it remains to be established whether these stressful life events can lead to an increased risk of dementia.

“As we improve our understanding of risk factors for dementia it is increasingly important to establish the role that stress and stressful life events play.”

And Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for Alzheimer’s Association, said: “These studies were done with US data but they give weight to the global body of evidence, which requires co-ordinated action.”

It comes as separate research showed how PET scans could revolutionise dementia diagnosis by providing a more accurate picture than using brain or spinal fluid samples.

Use of “positron emission tomography” in the UK lags behind other countries, yet new research suggests the £3,000 scans could prove vital in revealing who is at risk.

In a study, Swedish researchers performed PET scans on people with an unclear diagnosis.

Preliminary results from 61 of 135 people showed scans resulted in a change in diagnosis in 68 per cent of study participants.

Dr James Pickett, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This should be a wake-up call for the UK.”