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Depression in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and related dementias is well described, but it remains unclear whether both are manifestations of the same neuropathological process or if one is the cause of the other. Reactive depression can occur in the context of memory dysfunction, but, conversely, many signs and symptoms associated with depression (e.g., sleep disruption and isolation) are risk factors for neurodegeneration.
To examine depressive symptoms occurring before cognitive impairment, researchers identified 2416 participants aged 50 or older and cognitively normal at baseline (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR], 0) from a multicenter, longitudinal, observational study. During about 7.5 years of follow-up, 1218 participants were …