Depression has been proven to have its own neurodegenerative effects on the brain, but researchers have found a connection between beta-amyloid in depressed elderly patients with cognitive deficits and advancement to Alzheimer's disease. Results showed that mild cognitive impaired patients with depressive symptoms had higher amyloid deposition than non-depressed controls.
Many people develop depression in the latest stages of life, but until now doctors had no idea that it could point to a build up of a naturally occurring protein in the brain called beta-amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. They were able to prove this using molecular imaging data from a global dementia imaging database.
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From Medical News Today
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