Mental health in familial caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients: are the effects of chronic stress on cognition inevitable?

This study suggests that the cognitive impairments of caregivers are not necessarily irreversible, as indicated by the results obtained for contextual memory, which could be improved despite the ongoing chronic stress and associated hormonal and neurotrophin dysfunctions. Lay summary The support of a relative with Alzheimer's Disease submits the familial caregivers to a chronic stress condition that increases their own risk of cognitive decline. This study suggests that, irrespective to their alterations on cortisol/DHEA ratio and BDNF levels, caregivers have a cognitive reserve that could probably be engaged to limit the negative effects of chronic stress on cognition. PMID: 30382760 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Stress - Category: Research Tags: Stress Source Type: research