"All-cause dementia" refers to all dementia syndromes, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. Alzheimer's disease is associated with memory problems and apathy in early stages, and impaired judgment, confusion, disorientation, behavior changes, and difficulty speaking in later stages. Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia, and is associated with impaired judgment or ability to plan and complete tasks, as opposed to memory loss that is common in early stages of Alzheimer's.
"An understanding of how late-life depression increases the risk of dementia could lead to better prediction and prevention mechanisms," said Meryl Butters, Ph.D., associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and corresponding author of the study. "Early diagnosis and prevention of depression could have a major dual public health impact as they could also potentially prevent or delay cognitive decline and dementia in older adults."