scholarly journals Late-Life Depression, Hippocampal Volumes, and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Regulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 339-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam I. Geerlings ◽  
Lotte Gerritsen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Adrenal Axis ◽  
Pituitary Adrenal Axis

Methods and approaches to examining the interface of late-life depression and dementia

2020 ◽  
pp. 267-276
Author(s):  
Mirjam I Geerlings
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Prodromal Symptom ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Adrenal Axis ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Pituitary Adrenal Axis

Late-life depression increases the risk of dementia. The exact nature of this relationship is not clear, however. Late-life depression may be a causal factor in the development of dementia, but is may also be a preclinical or prodromal symptom of dementia. This chapter reviews the approaches used to examine the interface between depression and dementia, and reviews existing evidence for the two main hypotheses to explain this relationship: the neurotoxicity hypothesis stating that dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis resulting from repeated depressive episodes has neurotoxic effects on the hippocampus, and the vascular hypothesis stating that depression precedes dementia through small vessel ischaemic changes in mood-regulating brain areas. It then discusses a number of methodological issues and limitations of existing studies relating to study design, and definition and measurement of late-life depression, and proposes future directions for research.

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