Study links stressful jobs to impaired memory and learning abilities

Mar 19, 2013 21:31 GMT  ·  By
People who have stressful jobs are more likely to develop Alzheimer's, study finds
   People who have stressful jobs are more likely to develop Alzheimer's, study finds

Following her carrying out several experiments on mice, a PhD student in Sweden has reached the conclusion that chronic stress increases people's chances of developing Alzheimer's when in their older years.

Sara Bengtsson's experiments consisted in her injecting mice with stress hormones. This procedure caused the animals to experience both memory impairment and a worsening of their ability to learn new things, Daily Mail says.

Given the fact that the human brain responds to elevated levels of stress hormones in a similar manner to mice’s brains, the PhD student concluded that stressful circumstances (stressful jobs, in particular) make people more vulnerable to being affected by Alzheimer's at one point in their lives.

Still, Dr. Simon Ridley, the current head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, wished to stress the fact that a study involving humans is mandatory if such theories are to be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

“Some research has already highlighted a possible link between chronic stress, cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer’s, and further study in people is needed to fully investigate these links,” Dr. Simon Ridley said.