Dementia affects millions of people worldwide and is expected to become more prevalent as populations age.
As a result, prevention and early detection are playing an increasingly important role in healthcare systems.
According to a new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, certain psychological symptoms in midlife may provide important clues about the risk of developing dementia later in life.
Depressive symptoms
The study is based on data from the Whitehall II study and includes more than 5,800 participants with an average age of 55.
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Participants were assessed for depressive symptoms in the late 1990s and were then followed for 25 years.
According to Medical News Today, the results showed that individuals with five or more depressive symptoms had a 27 percent higher risk of developing dementia later in life.
The researchers emphasize, however, that this figure alone does not explain the entire relationship.
Six symptoms in focus
The increased risk was found to be particularly associated with six specific symptoms.
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These include difficulties with concentration, nervousness, low self-confidence, and problems coping with challenges.
Two of the symptoms, loss of self-confidence and an inability to deal with difficulties, were linked to an almost 50 percent higher risk of dementia, according to the study’s analyses.
The study’s lead author, Philipp Frank of University College London, told Medical News Today that previous research has often treated depression as a single, unified condition, which may have obscured important differences.
Prevention
External experts point out that the findings may have implications for both prevention and early counselling.
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Psychiatrist Richard A. Bermudes told Medical News Today that certain symptoms may be signs of changes in brain function.
At the same time, geriatrician Kamal Wagle believes that more research is needed in other population groups.
Sources: Medical News Today, and The Lancet Psychiatry.
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