Depression-->Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in the "Oldest Old" (84+yoa)

The finding of this new evaluation of the oldest old is in line with previous studies which have found that being severely depressed is correlated with three times higher risk losing your mind permanently (MCI or dementia). No causal factors were investigated here, but the association is significant and persistent. I suspect that the patients who were depressed were subsequently put on meds which impacted their cognitive function, and I also believe that depression is associated with brain processes that probably do cause degradation of our cognitive function. That causality is yet to be understood.
( notes )