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. 2024 Nov 11;3(1):53.
doi: 10.1038/s44184-024-00093-8.

Sex differences in the association between repetitive negative thinking and neurofilament light

Yolanda Lau  1 , Amit Bansal  1 , Cassandre Palix  2 , Harriet Demnitz-King  1 , Miranka Wirth  3 , Olga Klimecki  4 , Gael Chetelat  2 , Géraldine Poisnel  2 , Natalie L Marchant  5 ; Medit-Ageing Research Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Sex differences in the association between repetitive negative thinking and neurofilament light

Yolanda Lau et al. Npj Ment Health Res. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that repetitive negative thinking (RNT; i.e., worry and ruminative brooding) is associated with biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. Given that women have a greater risk of many neurodegenerative diseases, this study investigated whether worry and brooding are associated with general neurodegeneration and whether associations differ by sex. Exploratory analyses examined whether allostatic load, a marker of chronic stress, mediates any observed relationships. Baseline data from 134 cognitively healthy older adults in the Age-Well clinical trial were utilised. Worry and brooding were assessed using questionnaires. Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of neurodegeneration, was quantified using a Meso Scale Discovery assay. We found a positive interaction between brooding and sex on NfL, with higher brooding associated with greater NfL levels in women. No associations were observed between worry/ruminative brooding and allostatic load. These results offer preliminary support that RNT is associated with worse brain health, specifically in women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Associations between ruminative brooding, worry, and NfL levels stratified by sex.
Associations between a ruminative brooding and NfL and b worry and NfL, adjusting for age and education, and stratified by sex. A significant interaction was observed between ruminative brooding and sex on NfL. Higher levels of ruminative brooding were associated with elevated NfL levels in women, while no such association was observed in men. No interaction was observed between worry and sex on NfL.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Associations between ruminative brooding, worry, and allostatic load stratified by sex.
Associations between a ruminative brooding and allostatic load and b worry and allostatic load, adjusting for age and education, and stratified by sex. No interaction was observed between ruminative brooding and sex on allostatic load, or between worry and sex on allostatic load.
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