Up to 20% of people suffer from depression in their lifetime, which plays an important role in cognitive aging

Although studies have shown that poor cardiovascular health can damage blood flow to the brain and increase the risk of dementia, a new study led by the University of California, San Francisco shows that poor mental health may also impair cognition Ability

This study provides more evidence for the link between depression and dementia, but although most studies point to the link between depression and life in old age, a study by the University of California, San Francisco showed that early adulthood Depression may cause cognitive decline after 10 years, and cause cognitive decline in the elderly

The study will be published in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease" on September 28, 2021

Researchers used innovative statistical methods to predict the average depressive symptom trajectory of approximately 15,000 participants between the ages of 20 and 89, dividing them into three life stages: old, middle-aged, and young

These results were adjusted for differences in depression symptoms at other life stages, age, gender, race, education, body mass index, history of diabetes, and smoking status

Excessive stress hormones may impair the ability to generate new memories

The first author of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and the Weir Institute of Neuroscience and Master of Public Health Dr.

She said that other studies have linked depression to hippocampal atrophy, and one study showed that women shrink faster

In estimating depressive symptoms at each life stage, the researchers combined data from young participants with data from approximately 6,000 older participants and predicted the average trajectory

U-shaped curve increases the credibility of the predicted trajectory

The author stated that although hypothetical values ​​are used, the longitudinal study of the entire life process has not been completed

The researchers used a tool called CESD-10 to screen participants for depression

Approximately 1,277 participants were diagnosed with cognitive impairment after undergoing neuropsychological testing, evidence of global decline, documented use of dementia drugs, or hospitalization for dementia as the primary or secondary diagnosis

"Generally speaking, we found that the more severe the depressive symptoms, the lower the cognitive ability and the faster the decline," said Brunnowitz, who also belongs to the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco

Kristine Yaffe, MD, senior author in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, said that as many as 20% of people suffer from depression throughout their lives.