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Late-Life Mood Disorders May Signal Neurodegenerative Diseases
- On June 09, 2025, a team of Japanese researchers published findings in Alzheimer's & Dementia revealing that individuals with late-life mood disorders exhibit notable accumulation of tau protein, a characteristic marker of neurodegenerative conditions.
- This research addressed the unclear neurological basis of LLMDs by analyzing 52 patients, 47 controls, and 208 autopsy cases to explore tau pathology's link to mood symptoms.
- Results showed about 50% of LLMD participants had tau buildup, compared to 15% of controls, and mood symptoms appeared on average 7.3 years before cognitive or motor decline.
- Lead author Dr. Shin Kurose noted that neurodegenerative disorders can present initially with psychiatric symptoms, while co-author Dr. Takahata highlighted that tau-PET imaging is effective in identifying a range of tau-related abnormalities in patients with late-life mood disorders.
- The findings imply some late-life depression or bipolar disorder cases may represent early neurodegeneration, suggesting earlier diagnosis and intervention using PET biomarkers could improve outcomes.
14 Articles
14 Articles
BDNF promoter methylation and genetic variation in late-life depression
The regulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important for depression pathophysiology and epigenetic regulation of the BDNF gene may be involved. This study investigated whether BDNF methylation is a marker of depression. One thousand and twenty-four participants were recruited as part of a longitudinal study of psychiatric disorders in general population elderly (age⩾65). Clinical levels of depression were assessed using th…
News Medical
MSNLate-life mood disorders may signal neurodegenerative diseases
Depression and bipolar disorder of late onset may represent more than just mental health conditions. Growing evidence suggests these late-life mood disorders (LLMDs) could be not merely risk factors, but rather early warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, even when they appear years before memory loss or other cognitive symptoms become apparent.
Effect of physical activity intervention on late-life depressive symptoms: a target trial emulation using two cohort studies
To estimate the effect of a sustained physical activity intervention on 12-year risk of late-life depressive symptoms among older adults.We emulated a…
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