A study led by Dr. Natalie Marchant, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University College London, suggests Repetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) could be a factor that contributes to dementia, and particularly Alzheimer’s disease. This study is part of a research trend that is trying to identify modifiable risk factors, that is, factors that can be changed or avoided through medical intervention and/or behavioral changes.

So what is Repetitive Negative Thinking or RNT? The research team defined it as thought patterns that focus too much on worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. RNT, also known as Perseverative Cognition, is itself a subject of many studies and it has been associated with decreased memory and executive function. What’s interesting about these studies, as co-author Dr. Gael Chetelat points out, is that they provide scientific laboratory evidence that our thought patterns really do affect our brains at a physical level.

The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, a peer-reviewed medical research journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. In it Dr. Marchant and her team concluded that RNT was associated with decline in global cognition, immediate and delayed memory, and global amyloid and entorhinal tau deposition. Global cognition is a research term used to evaluate various cognitive areas such as orientation, attention, and verbal fluency. Immediate and delayed memory refer to the ability to recall new information as opposed to deeply ingrained memories such as childhood memories. Most interestingly, however, were the increased amyloid and entorhinal tau depositions. Tau and amyloid are the two proteins which build up in the brain and cause Alzheimer’s disease. 

While global cognition and memory can be assessed through different standardized tests and questionnaires, amyloid and tau deposits can only be measured through Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain scans. In the study, Dr. Marchant and her team carried out 181 PET scans along with various RNT, anxiety, and depression questionnaires. After cross referencing the data from the PET scans and the questionnaires, the researchers found that while depression and anxiety were associated with cognitive decline, only RNT was associated with increased amyloid and tau depositions. This means that RNT, and not depression and anxiety, is the main contributor to Alzheimer’s disease.

Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society, noted that Dr. Marchant’s study was vital but many of its participants were already known to be at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and therefore more studies must be conducted to better understand further implications. One question that was raised was how closely associated is RNT and other contributing factors such as hypertension and obesity which also seem to contribute to Alzheimer’s. All of this information is very valuable because these factors are all modifiable. Hypertension and obesity can be modified through medication and behavioral changes, and RNT can also be modified through counseling and learning how to identify and reframe negative thought processes. 

There are various resources about dealing with RNT, but the first step is awareness. You can begin by journaling your thoughts to help identify if you have negative thought patterns, if you do then you can seek help through a therapist or a counselor who will help train you to frame your thoughts in a more positive light.