Research
Subtle mood changes in late life may follow early Alzheimer’s brain changes, study suggests
PsyPost · By Eric W. Dolan ·
The Brief
- In older adults without memory problems, tau protein buildup in the brain tends to precede a rise in mild depressive symptoms.
- The study found little evidence that mood changes drive tau accumulation.
- The findings were published in the Journal of Psychology research outlet named in the source.
Why it matters
The results suggest that subtle mood changes in late life may be an early signal of Alzheimer's-related brain changes, which could matter for how clinicians and researchers think about depression in older adults.
Who’s affected
- Researchers studying Alzheimer's disease and late-life depression
- Older adults without memory problems
- #alzheimers
- #tau
- #depression
- #mood
- #aging
- #neuroscience
In older adults without memory problems, the buildup of Alzheimer’s-related tau protein in the brain tends to precede and predict a rise in mild depressive symptoms, with little evidence that mood changes drive protein accumulation. The findings, published in the Journal of…