Depression and Cognitive Disorders

Individuals stricken with depression disorders commonly battle cognitive disorders as well. The elderly are at particularly high risk of facing both conditions at once. Effective treatments are available to alleviate depressive symptoms, but prevention remains the best approach to cognitive impairment.

Comorbidity

• Depression and cognitive symptoms often occur in the same individuals, but reports from the National Institutes of Health discredit existing theories that remission of depression improves cognitive function.

Folate

• The U.S. National Library of Medicine associates folate deficiency--a condition present even in those consuming adequate dietary folate--with cognitive disorders, depression and treatment-resistant depression.

Risk

• The National Guideline Clearinghouse recommends health-care providers pay close attention to signs of depression and cognitive impairments, like dementia, in the elderly.

Treatment

• The Mayo Clinic recommends patient-centered treatments for mild cognitive impairment, but adds medication, a standard treatment for depression disorders, is not yet established as beneficial in treating cognitive symptoms.

Prevention

• The Mayo Clinic reports dementia, a type of cognitive disorder, may be prevented with lifestyle modification, including reducing alcohol consumption, controlling blood pressure and smoking cessation.