Essential
- Depressive symptoms can be one of the manifestations of dementia.
- According to a study, they become particularly marked in the 6 to 8 years preceding the diagnosis.
- This increase is greater in the event of dementia not linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia is not just a memory loss. This syndrome can manifest itself in many forms, such as anxiety or depression. French researchers, the Montpellier Institute of Neuroscience, the Clinical Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bordeaux, CHRU of Nîmes and the Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health Desbest, publish a study on depressive symptoms and dementia. In Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatrythey explain that the first symptoms of depression, linked to dementia, appear several years before the diagnosis.
Dementia and depression: Understanding the temporality of symptoms
“Depression has always been linked to the appearance of dementia, but the temporality and nature of this association remain unresolved “recall the authors in the preamble. Their study aimed to understand the trajectory of depressive symptoms during the 15 years preceding the diagnosis of dementia. To do this, they worked on the data of a study carried out from 1999. “The cohort included 9,294 people living in the community aged 65 and over, followed for 15 years in three French cities (Bordeaux, Dijon, Montpellier), they detail. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the depression scale of the Center for Epidemiological Studies in 1,028 cases of dementia and 1,028 paired witnesses“The trajectories of depressive symptoms have been studied during the 15 years before the diagnosis, and compared to the control group.
Depressive symptoms associated with dementia are present 6 to 8 years before the diagnosis
French scientists note that there is no significant difference between people who will be suffering from dementia and others within 12 to 15 years before the diagnosis. On the other hand, they observed that progressive differences have appeared over time. They become significant six to eight years before the appearance of dementia and “culminants ” two years before the diagnosis. “”These differences were more pronounced in cases not suffering from dementia of Alzheimer’s “note the authors.
What are the links between depression and dementia?
Depression is one of the factors that increase the risk of dementia, but it can therefore also be a symptom. “”Mood changes and behavior sometimes appear before memory problemsconfirms the World Health Organization. Symptoms worsen over time. “ According to his figures, 57 million people worldwide are currently suffering from dementia.
