Can anxiety cause memory loss
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Can Anxiety Cause Memory Loss?
Anxiety and Working Memory Capacity
Anxiety has been shown to negatively impact working memory capacity. A comprehensive meta-analysis of 177 samples involving over 22,000 individuals found that self-reported anxiety is consistently associated with poorer performance on various working memory tasks, including complex span, simple span, and dynamic span tasks . This suggests that anxiety can restrict the capacity of working memory by competing with task-relevant processes.
Anxiety as a Predictor of Cognitive Decline and Dementia
Anxiety is also considered a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies found that anxiety significantly predicts incident cognitive impairment and dementia in community settings, particularly among older adults . This indicates that anxiety may contribute to long-term cognitive decline, potentially leading to conditions like dementia.
Anxiety and Alzheimer's Disease
The relationship between anxiety and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been explored in several studies. Anxiety and depression are known to exacerbate the symptoms of AD, including memory loss . Moreover, a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found a marginally significant association between anxiety and an increased risk of developing AD . This suggests that anxiety could be a modifiable risk factor for AD.
Acute Stress, Anxiety, and Working Memory
Acute stress, when combined with high levels of anxiety, can impair working memory performance. A study found that anxiety mediates the effect of acute stress on working memory, but only when cortisol levels are high . This supports the attentional control theory, which posits that anxiety disrupts higher-order cognitive processes like working memory.
Memory Bias in Anxiety
Anxiety can also influence memory bias, particularly in the recall of threatening information. A meta-analytic review of 165 studies found that anxious individuals tend to remember threat-related information more readily than non-threatening information . This memory bias can affect both implicit and explicit memory processes, although the impact on implicit memory and recognition is less clear.
Anxiety and Memory Performance in Alzheimer's Disease
Interestingly, in early-stage Alzheimer's disease, anxiety symptoms have been found to predict a smaller decline in learning abilities, although they do not significantly affect recall abilities . This suggests that while anxiety may not always accelerate memory decline in AD, it can still influence certain aspects of memory performance.
The Impact of Transient Anxiety on Memory
Transient anxiety, such as that induced by the threat of shock, has domain-specific effects on memory. For instance, visuospatial working memory may be enhanced under threat conditions, while the encoding of faces can be impaired . This indicates that the impact of anxiety on memory can vary depending on the type of memory task and the nature of the anxiety.
Conclusion
In summary, anxiety can indeed cause memory loss, particularly by impairing working memory capacity and contributing to cognitive decline and dementia. The relationship between anxiety and memory is complex, with anxiety influencing memory performance through various mechanisms, including stress responses and memory biases. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate the cognitive impacts of anxiety.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic