Your Thoughts Could Be Shrinking Your Brain: Study Reveals - Video

A new study published in BMC Psychiatry is drawing fresh attention to how our thinking patterns, specifically repetitive negative thinking (RNT), might play a crucial role in age-related cognitive decline. Conducted in Wuhan, China, the research adds to earlier findings from University College London (UCL) by suggesting that habitual rumination and worry may be more than just emotionally distressing; they could be quietly impacting memory, attention, and reasoning in older adults.

Repetitive negative thinking refers to the persistent habit of dwelling on worries about the future or regrets about the past. For years, scientists have speculated that these thought patterns might influence brain health, but recent evidence strengthens that link. The Wuhan study involved 424 adults aged 60 and above and measured RNT using the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), while cognitive performance was assessed through the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA).

Participants were divided into four quartiles based on their repetitive negative thinking scores. Those in the highest two quartiles—indicating more frequent negative thinking—scored significantly lower on cognitive tests than those in the lowest quartile. This difference remained even after adjusting for other factors like age, education, income, chronic diseases, and lifestyle variables. Subgroup analysis showed that the association was particularly strong in people aged 60–79 and those with at least junior high school education.

The possible mechanisms include prolonged stress responses, depletion of mental resources (a “cognitive debt”), and biological changes in the brain. While the Wuhan study is cross-sectional and can’t establish causality, it highlights a key modifiable risk factor. Importantly, strategies such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and lifestyle improvements may help mitigate these risks.

Reference: Ye, N., Peng, L., Deng, B. et al. Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive function decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 25, 562 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06815-2