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Depression-an underrecognized target for prevention of dementia in Alzheimer's disease
Dafsari FS, Jessen F.. Translational psychiatry, 2020-05-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
It is broadly acknowledged that the onset of dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be modifiable by the management of risk factors. While several recent guidelines and multidomain intervention trials on prevention of cognitive decline address lifestyle factors and risk diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, a special reference to the established risk factor of depression or depressive symptoms is systematically lacking. In this article we review epidemiological studies and biological mechanisms linking depression with AD and cognitive decline. We also emphasize the effects of antidepressive treatment on AD pathology including the molecular effects of antidepressants on neurogenesis, amyloid burden, tau pathology, and inflammation. We advocate moving depression and depressive symptoms into the focus of prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. We constitute that early treatment of depressive symptoms may impact on the disease course of AD and affect the risk of developing dementia and we propose the need for clinical trials.
Key findings
- While several recent guidelines and multidomain intervention trials on prevention of cognitive decline address lifestyle factors and risk diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, a special reference to the established risk factor of depression or depressive symptoms is systematically lacking.
- In this article we review epidemiological studies and biological mechanisms linking depression with AD and cognitive decline.
- We also emphasize the effects of antidepressive treatment on AD pathology including the molecular effects of antidepressants on neurogenesis, amyloid burden, tau pathology, and inflammation.
- We advocate moving depression and depressive symptoms into the focus of prevention of cognitive decline and dementia.
- We constitute that early treatment of depressive symptoms may impact on the disease course of AD and affect the risk of developing dementia and we propose the need for clinical trials.
Why it matters
This article reviews evidence linking depression with Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline and argues that depression should be a focus of dementia prevention, proposing that early treatment of depressive symptoms may affect disease course. It calls for clinical trials, so the potential benefit of treating depression for preventing dementia is not yet established.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Translational psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Translational Psychiatry: journal h-index 180 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 312 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 39.0 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 22.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 171 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Frank Jessen: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Cologne: institution h-index 879 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32433512) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0839-1
- PubMed: 32433512
- Original source →
- Free full text: Translational Psychiatry →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Dafsari, F. S., & Jessen, F. (2020). Depression-an underrecognized target for prevention of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Translational psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0839-1
Vancouver
Dafsari FS, Jessen F. Depression-an underrecognized target for prevention of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Translational psychiatry. 2020. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-0839-1. PMID: 32433512.
BibTeX
@article{dafsari2020-32433512,
author = {Dafsari, F. S. and Jessen, F.},
title = {{Depression-an underrecognized target for prevention of dementia in Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Translational psychiatry},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1038/s41398-020-0839-1},
pmid = {32433512},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0839-1}
}
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