Aging, the Hippocampus, and Cognitive Decline
Researchers were interested in the relationship between hippocampal shrinkage, the amyloid-beta and tau that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive decline. They analyzed MRI and cognitive testing data from 128 clinically normal older adults for 10 years (56% women, age range 63-87).
More rapid shrinkage of the hippocampus was associated with faster cognitive decline, independent of amyloid-beta and tau found in the brains of participants. On its own, hippocampus degeneration was responsible for 10% of the cognitive decline.
Chronic stress, caused by long-term stressors, is a critical contributor to hippocampus shrinkage. Exposure to stress hormones damages and kills neurons in the hippocampus. Exercise, anything that raises your heart rate, helps to protect the hippocampus from stress-related damage. Mental strength practices, such as meditation, help reduce the fight-or-flight stress response.
Takeaway: Stress management practices, including exercise and meditation, help protect against the harmful effects of stress hormones on the memory-processing hippocampus.
Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.
Sources
Bernard J. Hanseeuw, et. al, Association of Pathological and Volumetric Biomarker Changes with Cognitive Decline in Clinically Normal Adults: Harvard Aging Brain Study, Neurology November 2023, Nov. 15, 2023, Association of pathological and volumetric biomarker changes with cognitive decline in clinically normal adults: Harvard Aging Brain Study | Neurology.
Debra Austin, JD, PhD, The Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-being and Better Job Performance, forthcoming Cambridge University Press, June 2024, Book — Debra Austin, JD, PhD.
Chapter 7: The Impact of Stress
Chapter 10: Optimizing Brain Health
Chapter 11: Enhancing Mental Strength
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