Depression link to dementia

A NEW UK review has found that those who have depression or anxiety could also show an increased rate of cognitive decline later in life.

Carried out by psychologists at the University of Sussex, the review looked at 34 longitudinal studies involving a total of 71,244 participants and that focused on a link between depression or anxiety and a decline in cognitive function over time.

The team found that those with depression experienced a greater decline in cognitive function, including memory loss, executive function (such as decision making) and informationprocessing speed, in later older adulthood than those without depression.

With 32 of the studies looking at depression, and only five at anxiety, the number of anxiety studies was said to be insufficient for a meta-analysis.

However, this is the first study to provide comprehensive evidence that depression can have an effect on decline in overall cognitive function.

As there is no current cure for dementia, the findings could be important for identifying those who may be at a greater risk of developing dementia so that early interventions can be put into place.

“This study is of great importance – our populations are ageing at a rapid rate and the number of people living with decreasing cognitive abilities and dementia is expected to grow substantially over the next 30 years,” commented one of the lead authors of the study, Dr Darya Gaysina.

But Amber John, who also led the study, added: “People living with depression shouldn’t despair.

“It’s not inevitable that you will see a greater decline in cognitive abilities, and taking preventative measures such as exercising, practising mindfulness and undertaking recommended therapeutic treatments, such as cognitive behaviour therapy, have all been shown to be helpful in supporting wellbeing, which in turn may help to protect cognitive health in older age.”

The results of the study can be found published online in the journal, Psychological Medicine. – AFP-Relaxnews