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Special Articles
Published Online: 19 December 2023

Depression as a Risk Factor for Dementia: A Meta-Analysis

Publication: The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome characterized by the deterioration of cognitive function beyond what is expected. The increased risk of developing this syndrome resulting from established modifiable risk factors, such as depressive episodes, is currently a subject of interest. The aim of this study was to review the scientific evidence that addresses the relationship between depression and dementia. A bibliographic search of the PubMed and PsycInfo databases for articles published over the past 20 years was conducted with the following medical subject heading terms: depression or depressive, dementia, and incidence or cohort studies. After articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected, relevant moderating variables were grouped as sample characteristics, methodological characteristics, extrinsic characteristics, and outcome variables. The 26 selected studies resulted in a sample comprising 1,760,262 individuals. Statistical analysis revealed a pooled relative risk for the development of dementia of 1.82 (95% CI=1.62–2.06). The primary variables evaluated were the diagnostic methods for depression and dementia and the presence of depression. Other variables, such as mean age, methodological quality of each study, follow-up time, and publication year, were also evaluated. Age was statistically but not clinically significant. No relevant publication bias or alterations in the results were found when accounting for the quality of the studies. It is recommended that new moderating variables be evaluated or that existing variables be reformulated in future studies.

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Information

Published In

Go to The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Go to The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Pages: 101 - 109
PubMed: 38111332

History

Received: 3 March 2023
Revision received: 21 May 2023
Revision received: 27 August 2023
Accepted: 6 September 2023
Published online: 19 December 2023
Published in print: Spring 2024

Keywords

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease
  2. Dementia
  3. Depression
  4. Meta-Analysis
  5. Risk Ratio

Authors

Details

Roberto Fernández Fernández, M.D. [email protected]
Department of Psychiatry, Infanta Cristina University Hospital, Madrid (Fernández Fernández); Department of Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid (all authors).
Javier Ibias Martín, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry, Infanta Cristina University Hospital, Madrid (Fernández Fernández); Department of Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid (all authors).
María Araceli Maciá Antón, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry, Infanta Cristina University Hospital, Madrid (Fernández Fernández); Department of Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid (all authors).

Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Fernández Fernández ([email protected]).

Competing Interests

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

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