Anxiety and Dementia: Which Comes First?

Depressive and anxiety symptoms have been hypothesized to interact with high levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) to increase the risk for aging-related cognitive decline. To address this theory, researchers examined data from a 54-month multicenter, prospective study of 333 healthy adults (mean age, 70). Participants underwent repeated neuropsychological testing; 89% completed the entire study. Two authors are affiliated with the company that provided some neuropsychological tests.

As expected, high baseline levels of Aβ (Aβ+) predicted significant decline in global cognition, verbal memory, language, and executive function. Among participants with Aβ+, decreases in global cognition, verbal memory, executive function, and language were significantly gr…