Six Depressive Symptoms Predict Long-Term Dementia Risk
Six particular depressive symptoms experienced in midlife predict dementia risk more than two decades later, according to a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
Midlife depression has long been considered a risk factor for dementia. However, new findings published in The Lancet Psychiatry suggest this relationship is driven by a small cluster of specific symptoms, not by depression overall. Thes symptoms are:
- Losing confidence in myself
- Not able to face up to problems
- Not feeling warmth and affection for others
- Feeling nervous and strung-up all the time
- Not satisfied with the way tasks are carried out
- Difficulties concentrating
Researchers believe focusing on these six symptoms when treating patients with depression in midlife may reduce their risk of dementia later in life, though more research is needed.
Lead author Dr. Philipp Frank (UCL Division of Psychiatry) 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 might potentially be more vulnerable decades before dementia develops.
“everyday symptoms that many people experience in midlife appear to carry vital information about long-term brain health. Paying attention to these patterns could open new opportunities for early prevention.”
The researchers analyzed data from 5,811 middle-aged adults who participated in the Whitehall II study, a British longitudinal cohort initiated in 1985 and funded by the Medical research Council and Wellcome.
Midlife depressive symptoms were assessed in 1997-1999, when all participants were dementia-free and middle-aged (age 45-69, a