Depression and Alzheimer's Risk Linked

"Depression may be a risk factor for developing dementia. I believe that's true," said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "Depression is also one of the side effects of dementia.

"So there is an overlap relationship that makes it very difficult to look at the more interesting question of whether, if we treat depression could we prevent dementia," Kennedy said.

Kennedy noted that studies have shown that depression in older people appears to be an early sign of developing dementia. However, whether that's the beginning of dementia or an independent risk factor for dementia isn't known, he said.

Even though the clinical implications for the association between depression and dementia aren't clear, Kennedy believes that older people with depression should have their depression treated. "There's even more reason to make sure depression is aggressively treated," he said.

Adding to the debate about the relationship between Alzheimer's and depression, a paper in the April issue of theArchives of General Psychiatryalso suggests that that depression may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's.

In the study, Robert S. Wilson, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and his colleagues found that among 917 older men and women, those who had symptoms of depression at the beginning of the study were more likely to develop Alzheimer's.

"Understanding the mechanisms linking depressive symptoms with dementia could suggest novel approaches to delaying dementia onset, because animal research suggests diverse means by which the adverse effects of chronic stress may be modified," Wilson's team wrote.

More information

For more on Alzheimer's disease, go to the Alzheimer's Association.

SOURCES: Yaakov Stern, Ph.D., professor, clinical neuropsychology, Columbia University, New York City; Gary Kennedy, M.D., director, geriatric psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, New York City; April 8, 2008,Neurology