ISLAMBAD, JUNE 15 (ONLINE): It has long been known that depression and memory loss go hand-in-hand.
\nA new study demonstrates that each condition may, in fact, inform the other.
\nExperts note the pathology of depression and memory loss overlap within the brain.
\nThe findings of this new research may have profound implications for therapeutic interventions for treating depression and memory loss in older adults.<\/p>\n
A new study demonstrates a bidirectional relationship between depression and memory loss.Scientists have long known that mood and memory are connected, but this is the first study, its authors say, that specifically investigates the relationship between the two.The study found that people with greater depressive symptoms experienced accelerated memory loss. The researchers note the reverse was also true: Significant memory loss resulted in a higher level of depressive symptoms. In other words, each condition exacerbated the other.<\/p>\n
The researchers analyzed 16 years of data from 8,268 participants, each of whom was examined in alternating years from 2002\u20132003 through 2018\u20132019. These were community-dwelling English adults aged 50 or older, with a mean age of 64 at the start of the study. Of this cohort, 55% were female.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe novel element of our work is that we established that the relationship between memory decline and depression is bidirectional,\u201d senior investigator Dorina Cadar, PhD, a lecturer in neuro-epidemiology and dementia at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom, told Medical News Today.<\/p>\n
The study is published in JAMA Network PsychiatryTrusted Source.<\/p>\n
How depression and memory loss are linked
\nViewing the two conditions as two sides of the same coin suggests new hope for those living with depression, memory loss, or both.<\/p>\n
David Merrill, MD, PhD, director of the Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, CA, not involved in the study, told MNT that prior to this study, researchers had looked at depression and memory loss independently, \u201ctrying to parse them apart as though they\u2019re separate.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Merrill noted it has long been understood that memory and mood are strongly linked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re studying memory, you need to control for mood,\u201d Merrill said. \u201cThe substrate of the creation of both phenomena is coming out of the same thing,\u201d he added, noting the similarities between depression and dementia.<\/p>\n
Merrill said the activity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are similar in both conditions. When there\u2019s a decrease in frontal lobe activityTrusted Source \u2014 as is seen with depression \u2014 there is a reduced ability to hold things in working memoryTrusted Source, Merrill explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe circuitry and the cells and the synapses involved in memory formation have a profound overlap with the circuitry involved in moods, mood regulation, and mood formation,\u201d Merrill said.<\/p>\n
Cadar explained that depression and memory have chemistry in common, including the \u201cdysregulation of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which play crucial roles in mood regulation and cognitive abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn depression, the imbalance of these neurotransmitters can impair synaptic plasticity, which is essential for learning and memory formation,\u201d Cadar said. \u201cSerotonin is involved in the modulation of mood and cognition, and its deficit can lead to reduced neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory consolidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The growth and survival of neurons in the hippocampus, Cadar continued, can also be threatened by high cortisolTrusted Source levels that often accompany depression.<\/p>\n
\u201cProlonged exposure to high cortisol levels can lead to hippocampal atrophy, which is already commonly observed in older individuals with major depressive disorder,\u201d Cadar said, adding that harmful inflammatory responses may result from depression.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepression is associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines\u2026 that can alter neurotransmitter metabolism, reduce synaptic plasticity, and damage brain structures involved in memory such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Inflammation-induced neurotoxicity can, therefore, contribute to cognitive deficits observed in depressed individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Dorina Cadar, PhD, senior study investigator<\/p>\n
Finally, depression \u2014 especially in older people \u2014 can cause insomnia, depriving the brain of the critical memory consolidation that occurs in deep sleep, Cadar noted.<\/p>\n
Is depression a form of dementia?
\nDementia may cause mood and behavioral changes, while depression may lead to forgetfulness, which may cause some confusion around these two very distinct \u2014 albeit related \u2014 conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepression, has historically been called \u2018pseudo dementia\u2019 in older adults, as it\u2019s been appreciated as sort of a reversible cause of dementia,\u201d Merrill said.<\/p>\n
Unlike neurodegenerative dementia, which involves the irreversible death of brain cells, \u201cpseudo dementia\u201d stems from depression that causes brain cells to be less active. In depression, less active brain cells could still be reactivated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decrease in brain activity [that occurs with depression] really leads to decreased capacity to form memories,\u201d Merrill said.<\/p>\n
In addition to all the physiological factors, when a experiences loss in memory capacity, Cadar noted \u201cthis cognitive impairment can lead to increased frustration, stress, and feelings of isolation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese can trigger or exacerbate depressive symptoms and associated loneliness that is equally detrimental for mental abilities,\u201d Cadar said.<\/p>\n
New future treatments for depression, dementia
\nThe findings of this study, have \u201csignificant implications for future treatment approaches for both conditions and highlighting the need for integrated treatment approaches rather than treating them in isolation,\u201d Cadar said.<\/p>\n
Treatment might address both conditions simultaneously, and healthcare providers might develop new early screening programs that monitor older people for both mood and memory.<\/p>\n
Merrill noted this would require a new interdisciplinary approach, bringing together psychologists and neurologists.<\/p>\n
For now, Merrill said it\u2019s imperative for the individual to aim to change one aspect of their mindset, given the nature of depression, if they hope to feel happier and restore memory function. \u201cThe problem is depression really robs you of motivation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
According to Merrill, physical activity may be the best course of treatment for both conditions. \u201cExercise is probably the best single intervention for the aging body and the aging brain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Merrill proposed a future therapy that could involve consulting with your doctor and getting a prescription for physical therapy (PT). This could provide a helpful structure from which to begin digging your way out of depression while also improving memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a scheduled appointment with the therapist and you have a trainer who\u2019s happy to see you. All those things are just really activating,\u201d he envisioned.<\/p>\n
The value of this plan, Merrill said, goes beyond the body and brain health benefits. \u201cYou develop friendships, and you develop relationships and bonds. A huge part of depression is this social isolation of losing connectedness,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMBAD, JUNE 15 (ONLINE): It has long been known that depression and memory loss go hand-in-hand. A new study demonstrates that each condition may, in fact, inform the other. Experts note the pathology of depression and memory loss overlap within the brain. The findings of […]<\/p>\n
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