Do not underestimate depression — it can cause irreparable damage to our brain.
In a 17-year study, American neurologists found that adult men and women who are prone to frequent depression have a 50% higher risk of developing senile dementia *. Prolonged depression triggers the process of death of nerve cells and can lead to the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Depression, the researchers suggest, can cause an autoimmune reaction, and this, in turn, has a detrimental effect on neurons. If so, the new data could not only improve the treatment of depression, but also better predict and prevent the development of dementia and other diseases caused by brain cell death.
* Neurology, 2014, vol. 10.