08/05/2014 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)

U.S. – A new study linking depression to dementia suggests treating the mental health condition may help reduce dementia symptoms. As reported by WebProNews, researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University found that depression is a risk factor for dementia, and accounts for a percentage of mental decline in patients that cannot be explained by damage in the brain that is related to the broad category of brain diseases.

A total of 1,764 people, whose average ages were 77, were followed in the study over an 8-year period. At the beginning of the study the participants reportedly had no problems with memory or thinking.

Lead author Robert Wilson, who is the senior neuropsychologist at the center, is quoted as stating of the findings, “This is a risk factor we should take seriously… Treating depression can reduce the risk of dementia in older people.”

Wilson further stated, “We must try to identify structures and functions in the brain that are linked to depression in old age and could help explain depression’s link to dementia. That gives us a better chance of knowing how we should best treat depression in a way that will move the bar and reduce risk of dementia.”

This report is provided by Justice News Flash – U.S. Legal News

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