AP51672

Depression and Dementia

In Chapter 6, of our textbooks, we learned that the definition of dementia is "the state of mental deterioration characterized by impaired memory and intellect and by altered personality and behavior." The textbook also mentions that dementia can result from cerebral arteriosclerosis, chronic alcoholism and irreversible damage by a series of small strokes. Recently Dr. Robert S Wilson, neuropsychiatrist at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, believes that studies have shown that people with symptoms of depression are more likely to develop dementia. He just does not know what the relationship of the two is. The current study indicates that the association of depression with dementia is independent of dementia-related brain changes. Researchers have high hopes that if they can find a way to treat or prevent depression, they may be able to prevent dementia. I know that preventing depression may not completely prevent dementia, but it seems to me that if researchers can lessen the contributing factors to dementia, that would be one step closer to lessening the odds of having dementia. The study that was done consisted of 1,764 people with the average age of 77 who had no thinking or memory problems at the beginning of the study. Out of the 1,764 people, 680 of the participants died and 582 autopsy's were performed. They were looking for the plaques and tangles in the brain that are the signs of dementia. They found that 52% of the participants developed mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, and 18% developed dementia. Researchers found no relationship between how much damage was found in the brain and the level of depression symptoms people had or in the change in depression symptoms over time. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

References: R. S. Wilson, A. W. Capuano, P. A. Boyle, G. M. Hoganson, L. P. Hizel, R. C. Shah, S. Nag, J. A. Schneider, S. E. Arnold, D. A. Bennett. **Clinical-pathologic study of depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in old age**. //Neurology//, 2014; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000715

Rush University Medical Center. "Depression as a risk factor for dementia: Link is independent of dementia-related brain changes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2014. .

Wood, Samuel E., Ellen R. Green. Wood, and Denise Roberts. Boyd. //Mastering the World of Psychology//. Fourth ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011. Print.

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