Anxiety is associated with an increased rate of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Alzheimer’s disease represents a major public health crisis worldwide. The number of deaths from the disease has more than doubled since 2000, and it is currently the fifth-leading cause of death among individuals over 65 in the U.S.
Many people with Alzheimer’s disease first suffer from mild cognitive impairment, a decline in cognitive abilities like memory and thinking skills that is more rapid than normally associated with aging. Anxiety has been frequently observed in patients with mild cognitive impairment, although its role in disease progression is not well understood.
“We know that volume loss in certain areas of the brain is a factor that predicts…
