Psychological mood and memory are intrinsically linked, scientists explain.
Depression can contribute to memory loss and vice versa, scientists who followed nearly 8,200 Britons over two decades found.
The scientists found that a linear change in depressive symptoms contributed to accelerated memory loss in subjects over 50 years of age. Their average age was 64 years.
But not only does depression affect memory, but the reverse is also true, scientists concluded in a study published by the American Medical Association.
Faster change in memory is also reciprocally associated with faster change in depression symptoms over time, according to American and British scientists.
The team included scientists and doctors from University College London, University of Rochester Medical Center and Sussex Medical School.
Psychological mood and memory are intrinsically linked, the researchers explain, noting that although cognitive dysfunction has previously been linked to depression, the direction of the relationship is not clear.
Study participants were examined every other year from 2002 to 2019 with tests of memory and verbal fluency and assessments of depressive symptoms according to the Center for Epidemiological Studies.
