How middle-age stress can hit memory and shrink the brain

STRESS in middle age can shrink your brain and make your memory worse, scientists have discovered.

The brain-reducing effects of stress were found to be associated with high levels of the hormone cortisol. Stress also made people’s thinking skills worse.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School studied 2,231 people with an average age of 49 and free of dementia. At the start of the study, each completed tests on their memory and thinking skills. Eight years later they repeated the exercises and levels of cortisol, which helps the body respond to stress, were tested. Most also had an MRI brain scan to measure brain volume.

Once the results were adjusted for age, sex, smoking and body mass, researchers found lower scores on tests of memory and thinking in people with higher levels of cortisol. Those with higher levels also had a smaller brain volume.

The study – published in the journal Neurology – suggests it could be an early warn- ing sign of dementia. Study author Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui said: ‘Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage before symptoms started to show, so it’s important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in exercise, incorporating relaxation techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed.

‘Cortisol affects many different functions so it is important to fully investigate how high levels of the hormone may affect the brain.’