A new study has suggested a link between six specific depression symptoms which could predict the development of dementia later in life.
Dementia is one of the most heartbreaking illnesses out there, leading to a progressive decline in memory, thinking, and social abilities, which can sometimes cause those suffering to forget their loved ones and lose awareness of their surroundings.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, with research showing that at least 944,000 people in the UK currently have dementia.
However, it isn't just older people who suffer from the disease, as younger people in their 40s and 50s have also spoken out about being diagnosed, in what is known as early-onset dementia.
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Now, a study has looked more into the long-established link between depression and dementia, and how we can look to predict when dementia may develop in people.
The link between depression and dementia
Evidence has long suggested that there is a link between the two conditions, although it isn't completely clear what causes this.
Some evidence claims that depression may well be a part of dementia, but having depression doesn't automatically lead to dementia, and vice versa.
It has been previously found that early-life depression could have long-term effects on cognitive health, while some symptoms are consistent with both depression and dementia, particularly when it comes to losing interest in people or things.
Now, researchers from University College London have analysed data from over 5,000 participants in a trial, which documented people's midlife depression symptoms between the years 1997 and 1999 when they were dementia-free.
Their health was then monitored for the next 25 years, and a staggering 10 percent of them developed dementia, with further analysis revealing that participants who were classified as depressed in midlife had a 27 percent higher risk of developing dementia.
The researchers were then able to identify six symptoms in particular that were present in adults younger than 60, which they suggest are the ones most likely to drive the increased dementia risk.
What are the six depressive symptoms?
- Loss of confidence
- Inability to face up to problems
- Not feeling warmth and affection for others
- Feelings of nervousness, like your nerves are pulled tight
- Dissatisfaction with the way tasks are carried out
- Difficulties concentrating
Loss of self-confidence and difficulty coping with problems were two of the biggest outliers, as they were each associated with a 50 percent increased risk of dementia.
However, other common symptoms of depression, such as low mood and sleep issues, weren't actually linked to dementia in the study.
What else did the study find?
Lead author Philipp Frank and co-author Gill Livingston, chair of the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, both spoke out about the success of the study and why focusing on these symptoms when treating midlife depression could lead to reduced dementia risk later in life.
Frank said: “Our findings show that dementia risk is linked to a handful of depressive symptoms rather than depression as a whole. This symptom-level approach gives us a much clearer picture of who may be more vulnerable decades before dementia develops.
“Everyday symptoms that many people experience in midlife appear to carry important information about long-term brain health. Paying attention to these patterns could open new opportunities for early prevention."
Livingston added: “This is a new and important way of considering depression and dementia, and it is more evidence that depression is a wide umbrella and not necessarily one illness.
“There is some limited evidence that treating depression in midlife might reduce later dementia risk, but further research is needed to better understand how best to reduce dementia risk.”
More research into the link is needed going forward, and it's also important to note that of those who participated in the study, 72 percent were male and 92 percent were white.
Topics: Mental Health, Health
James Moorhouse