Cognitive Aging and Dementia Prevention: The Time for Psychology?
03-10-2023“[...] there is a need to explore brain mechanisms through which psychological processes may exert their protective or deleterious effects.”
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BUFFALO, NY- March 10, 2023 – Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) published a new editorial paper in Volume 15, Issue 4, entitled, “Cognitive aging and dementia prevention: the time for psychology?”
Modifiable risk and protective factors (e.g. engaging in active lifestyles and avoiding alcohol or smoking amongst others) are seen as key agents for dementia prevention, and they also exert an important effect on cognitive trajectories of non-demented older adults. In this new editorial, researchers David Bartrés-Faz, Cristina Solé-Padullés and Natalie L. Marchant from the University of Barcelona discuss recent research that has begun to identify psychological processes that confer relative risk and protection.
“For example, repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a cognitive process defined by selfrelevant, persistent thoughts that elaborate on negative themes, has been associated with greater burden of typical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathological brain markers and accelerated cognitive decline over time [3].”
In contrast, self-reflection, as well as purpose in life and other components of psychological well being, may help to maintain cognition and boost cognitive resilience against neuropathological burden. The possibility of incorporating psychological elements as key players in affecting one of the most important public health issues of the century opens a window of great therapeutic opportunity, particularly because fundamental psychological processes are at the core of cognitive-behavioral interventions that may help reduce dementia risk. However, for this emergent area to develop and wield maximum benefit, major unanswered questions need to be addressed. In their editorial, the researchers highlight three main areas for future research.
“In summary, we propose that with momentum gathering, now is the time for psychology to make important contributions to cognitive ageing and dementia prevention research.”
Read the Full Paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.204562
Corresponding Author: David Bartrés-Faz
Corresponding Email: dbartres@ub.edu
Keywords: cognitive aging, psychological factors, dementia, prevention
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About Aging-US:
Aging publishes research papers in all fields of aging research including but not limited, aging from yeast to mammals, cellular senescence, age-related diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s diseases and their prevention and treatment, anti-aging strategies and drug development and especially the role of signal transduction pathways such as mTOR in aging and potential approaches to modulate these signaling pathways to extend lifespan. The journal aims to promote treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.
Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
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