According to scientists, people with certain cognitive impairments are more susceptible to the development of senile dementia.
The study involved 376 people aged 55 to 91 years. Each of them had mild cognitive impairment. The observation was conducted over two years. Every six months, data were collected on depression, anxiety, and various changes in the brain.
It turned out that among volunteers with various degrees of anxiety the risk of developing senile dementia increased significantly (with a strong anxiety up to 135%). It was also found that people with minor cognitive impairment and suffering from increased anxiety, the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is much higher.
Curiously, all volunteers had rather low rates of depression, which shows the insignificance of clinical depression in the development of senile dementia.
