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Depression and risk of developing dementia
Byers AL, Yaffe K.. Nature reviews. Neurology, 2011-05-03
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Depression is highly common throughout the life course and dementia is common in late life. Depression has been linked with dementia, and growing evidence implies that the timing of depression may be important in defining the nature of this association. In particular, earlier-life depression (or depressive symptoms) has consistently been associated with a more than twofold increase in dementia risk. By contrast, studies of late-life depression and dementia risk have been conflicting; most support an association, yet the nature of this association (for example, if depression is a prodrome or consequence of, or risk factor for dementia) remains unclear. The likely biological mechanisms linking depression to dementia include vascular disease, alterations in glucocorticoid steroid levels and hippocampal atrophy, increased deposition of amyloid-β plaques, inflammatory changes, and deficits of nerve growth factors. Treatment strategies for depression could interfere with these pathways and alter the risk of dementia. Given the projected increase in dementia incidence in the coming decades, understanding whether treatment for depression alone, or combined with other regimens, improves cognition is of critical importance. In this Review, we summarize and analyze current evidence linking late-life and earlier-life depression and dementia, and discuss the primary underlying mechanisms and implications for treatment.
Key findings
- In particular, earlier-life depression (or depressive symptoms) has consistently been associated with a more than twofold increase in dementia risk.
Why it matters
This 2011 review reports that depression earlier in life has consistently been associated with a more than twofold increase in dementia risk, while studies of late-life depression conflict. It says it is still unclear whether late-life depression is a risk factor for dementia, an early sign of it, or a consequence of it, so the link should not be read as cause and effect. The authors list possible biological pathways and say that whether treating depression improves cognition is of critical importance but still unknown.
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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 (Nature reviews. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nature Reviews Neurology: journal h-index 269 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2011 — within 20 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 | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,269 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 74.6 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 47 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 366 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Kristine S. Yaffe: h-index 155 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21537355) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Byers, A. L., & Yaffe, K. (2011). Depression and risk of developing dementia. Nature reviews. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2011.60
Vancouver
Byers AL, Yaffe K. Depression and risk of developing dementia. Nature reviews. Neurology. 2011. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2011.60. PMID: 21537355.
BibTeX
@article{byers2011-21537355,
author = {Byers, A. L. and Yaffe, K.},
title = {{Depression and risk of developing dementia}},
journal = {Nature reviews. Neurology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1038/nrneurol.2011.60},
pmid = {21537355},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2011.60}
}
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