Comorbidity Of Depression

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).

Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).

"Depression and Alzheimer's | Caregiver Center." Alzheimer's Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2017. .

They can mimic the disease through both clinical presentation and also radiographic findings, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Depression is one of the major imitators of Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, approximately 30-50% of people with Alzheimer’s also simultaneously suffer from depression. Due to the negative effects of depression, such as memory and motor dysfunction, one disease is often mistaken for the other. As a result of this, the National Institute of Mental Health has developed a criteria for diagnosing depression with Alzheimer’s (Mayo Clinic on

Although Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most widely known cause of dementia in the elderly population, there are many other explanations and clinical diagnoses that

Clinical depression is an illness that significantly affects the way someone feels; causing a persistent pessimistic mood. There are two main types of depression; post trauma and clinical deposition. This medical condition is often accompanied by a range of other physical and psychological symptoms that can interfere with a person’s everyday life; affecting 6% of Australian adults every year. Symptoms for depression include sleeping pattern disturbances, loss of motivation and interest, feeling worthless or guilty, anxiety and impaired concentration. There are a few ways that this depressive illness can be caused: reaction to a distressing situation like loss or stress; part of an illness such

Field, Tiffany, et al. "Depression and related problems in university students." College Student Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, 2012, p. 193+. Student Resources In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A285532033/SUIC?u=tel_a_beaman&sid=SUIC&xid=7c414f9c. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018.

Psychology, as most know, is the study of the mind and personal or group thoughts, feelings, and emotions in humans and animals. Scientists study, analyze, and investigate many areas of psychology, but the causes and effects of mood disorders and emotion irregularities are still unrecognized. Many studies were an attempt to find more information on mental illnesses. One of the most common illnesses in the United States is depression, also; it is the most often recognized mental illness in the world. What most clinicians don’t know, however, is what happens in the brains of patients before, during, and after depressive episodes.

Depression is the most common mental disorder, not only for adults, but for children and teenagers as well. The DSM-IV classifies depression as a mood disorder. It states that an individual has suffered a “major depressive episode” if certain symptoms persist for at least two weeks, including a loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities, a sad or irritable mood, a significant change in weight or appetite, problems sleeping or concentrating, and feelings of worthlessness. These symptoms of depression fall into four categories: mood, cognitive, behavioral, and physical. Depression affects how individuals feel, think, behave, and how their bodies work. People with depression may experience symptoms in any or all of the

It is already established that late-life depression is associated with increased risk of dementia, but the temporal relationship between depression and development of

Eight articles were included in this review primarily identified through Meta-analysis. I’ll explain a couple of the information found in Article, (1) was helpful in identifying a normal brain and a brain that has the Alzheimer’s disease. It explains. The development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are thought to add to the degradation of the nerve cells in the brain and the subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. And article (2) was provided by nih.gov on the facts sheet of AD.

According to recent research, it is believed that Alzheimer’s is caused due to a build up of a protein, called beta-amyloid. This protein peptide is toxic and insoluble, and forms more predominantly in particular regions of the brain, compared to the plaque buildup in a healthy aging person’s brain. Beta-amyloid proteins form from a protein known as amyloid precursor protein (APP), which

The linkage of serotonin to depression has been known for the past five years. From numerous studies, the most concrete evidence of this connection is the decreased concentration of serotonin metabolites like 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindole acetic acid) in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues of depressed people. If depression, as suggested, is a result of decreased levels of serotonin in the brain, pharmaceutical agents that can reverse this effect should be helpful in treating depressed patients. Therefore, the primary targets of various antidepressant medications are serotonin transports of the brain. Since serotonin is activated when released by neurons into the synapse, antidepressants function at the synapse to enhance serotonin activity. Normally, serotonin's actions in the synapse are terminated by its being taken back into the neuron then releases it at which point "it is either recycled for reuse as a transmitter or broken down into its metabolic by products and transported out of the brain." As a result, antidepressants work to increase serotonin levels at the synapse by blocking serotonin reuptake (2).

According to Morgan (2015), the neuroscience of depression has an emotional impact on many areas of the brain. The stressors in the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis initiate the release of the

Depression is a normal downswing mood and Physical disability is a skeletal motor condition or disfiguring impairment of the face, head, neck, trunk or limbs. A positive relationship between physical illness and depression has been reported persistently. Physical illness is a cause of depression both within and across age groups .The situation with respect to physical disability, however, is much less clear; findings on physical disability are only tangentially relevant because such studies include consideration of acute illness. More over the presence of chronic illness does not necessarily imply disability. Although it is assumed widely that physically disabled persons find it difficult to achieve and maintain psychological well-being. Specific