Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives. But prolonged periods of stress can have an impact on our cognitive functioning. Early assessment can assist in identifying patients who are experiencing significant levels of stress which are impacting on their ability to work, their mood, body and relationships. As well as providing a marker for gaps in other cognitive areas that could suggest underlying problems.
So what is stress?
Stress is defined as:
“the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. It's very common, can be motivating to help us achieve things in our daily life, and can help us meet the demands of home, work and family life. But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships – especially when it feels out of our control.” (NHS).
According to research, One in 14 UK adults (7%) feel stressed every single day (CIPHR) and the most common cause of stress is work-related stress with 79% saying they frequently felt it (Statistica).
Is there a link between stress and dementia?
There is ongoing research into the links between stress and dementia, which highlight that:
Stress can have an impact on the bodies immune system (Alzheimer’s Society), which can have a causative role in developing dementia, whilst
Long-term stress can lead to depression and anxiety which has been shown to increase the risk of developing dementia
Individual’s experiencing PTSD may have a higher risk of developing dementia https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933793/
But in each case there is no definite cause and effect - which is why early assessment and detection play such an important role.
Why early screening and detection matters
With the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic already being seen on the mental health of the younger generation, and the impact of global changes in the economy - the impact of long-term stress against the short term will be one to be reviewed and managed. A baseline measure can be a valuable marker to gauge how patients are responding to changes in stress overtime and the impact it is having on them.
Cognitive function is a key factor for good health
By using Mindmore to screen and test cognitive functioning, primary, specialist and occupational health professionals can track marked changes over time and thereby assist with follow-up appointments, medical testing, return to work practices and rehabilitation where appropriate.
Read more about how Mindmore's tools have been developed to make the test experience as simple as possible for patients and give you the insights you need to support them. https://www.mindmore.com/en/f%C3%B6retagsh%C3%A4lsov%C3%A5rd
If you, your clinic, or your research team need more information and want to get access to the Mindmore tool. Contact us now or write to us at info@mindmore.com
Our team is always available.
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