Impact of chronic stress exposure on cognitive performance incorporating the active and healthy aging (AHA) concept within the cross-sectional Bern Cohort Study 2014 (BeCS-14)

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to verify that the mental-cognitive domain of the validated generic bio-functional status (BFS)/bio-functional age (BFA) assessment tool, incorporating the concept of Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA), reflects cognitive performance. In addition, the effects of chronic stress exposure on the mental-cognitive BFS/BFA should be investigated. Methods The study was carried out as a monocenter, cross-sectional, observational, non-interventional trial (Bern Cohort Study 2014, BeCS-14) with the participation of 147 non-pediatric, non-geriatric subjects. All participants followed a standardized battery of biopsychosocial assessments consisting of BFS/BFA, a validated cognitive performance test battery (Inventar zur Gedächtnisdiagnostik; IGD) and a validated questionnaire for the assessment of chronic stress (Trier Inventory for the assessment of Chronic Stress; TICS), respectively. Results Mean cognitive performance was average and higher in younger or better educated individuals. The BFA of the participants was 7.8 ± 7.8 year-equivalents below their chronological age. The mental-cognitive BFS/BFA assessment correlated well with the validated questionnaire for cognition assessment, the IGD. Further, three TICS subdomains (work overload (r = − 0.246, p = 0.003), work discontent (r = − 0.299, p = 0.006) and pressure to succeed (r = − 0.274, p < 0.001)), reflecting mainly work-related stress, showed a significant negative correlation with the mental-cognitive BFS/BFA. Conclusions Our study shows that the BFS/BFA assessment tool follows European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP-AHA) requirements. Further, we could demonstrate that higher levels of chronic work-related stress may be associated with poorer mental-cognitive performance and a pro-aging state indicating that cognitive impairments can be reduced by stress management interventions.

Measuring Quality of Life: Incorporating Objectively Measurable Parameters within the Cross-Sectional Bern Cohort Study 2014 (BeCS-14)

“…The study design of the original study has been described before [2,[4][5][6][7]. Briefly, this was a monocenter, cross-sectional, observational, non-interventional trial.…”

“…Briefly, this was a monocenter, cross-sectional, observational, non-interventional trial. All participants (Total cohort (TC), n = 630) within BeCS-14 followed a standardized battery of assessments consisting of a personal and family history, bio-functional status (BFS), and derived from it, bio-functional age (BFA), as well as validated questionnaires for depression and anxiety (HADS) [8], health-related quality of life (SF-36) [9], and chronic stress (TICS) [4,6,10], respectively. Participants were asked to participate in further assessments addressing "nutrition" by AD-EVA [2,11] and PATEF [2,12], "employees' health" by IMPULS [13], "stress" by heart rate variability [14], and "cognition" by the validated test battery IGD [2,15].…”

“…The BFS was assessed by a comprehensive test battery developed by Poethig et al and reported by others [2,[4][5][6][19][20][21]. It is used for functionally diagnostic measurement of an individual's vitality.…”

Lactobacillus brevis-Fermented Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Ameliorates Depression- and Anxiety-Like Behaviors by Activating the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B Signaling Pathway in BALB/C Mice

“…4 It can make individuals susceptible to infectious diseases by weakening their immune systems and may contribute to the development of illnesses. 4,5 Additionally, chronic stress can impair memory, attention, and judgment 6 and induce unhealthy mental states such as anxiety and depression. 7 The stress-mediated escalation of illness is intricately linked to the body's oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.…”

“…Modern people are frequently exposed to various types of stress as it is a natural response to challenging situations or environments. Such responses result in physical and psychological effects on individuals. Some levels of stress can be beneficial and motivating, but prolonged and excessive stress has a negative effect on psychological, physical, and cognitive health and well-being. Chronic stress causes physical problems such as cardiovascular dysfunction, fatigue, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. It can make individuals susceptible to infectious diseases by weakening their immune systems and may contribute to the development of illnesses. , Additionally, chronic stress can impair memory, attention, and judgment and induce unhealthy mental states such as anxiety and depression. The stress-mediated escalation of illness is intricately linked to the body’s oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Chronic stress could activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, triggering the release of a cascade of hormones, including cortisol. , This surge in cortisol levels can amplify the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these biochemical changes have the potential to disrupt normal brain functions and alter neuronal signaling, contributing significantly to the development of depressive disorders. Depression is linked to certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. , Generally, some antidepressant medications are prescribed to alleviate depression and mood disorders. While they can be effective in reducing depressive symptoms, they also have side effects (e.g., nausea, low appetite, weight reduction, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and dizziness). Therefore, there is a growing need to develop foods or functional materials with fewer adverse effects.…”