ARE DEPRESSION AND MEMORY LOSS CONNECTED

ARE DEPRESSION AND MEMORY LOSS CONNECTED?
Sadness and mood swings are common depression symptoms. Depression, on the other hand, is a multifaceted illness that affects many parts of life, including memory. Depressive symptoms and memory problems usually coexist in later life, making it difficult to distinguish between symptoms caused by mood disorders, preclinical or early dementia, and other geriatric syndromes. This difference is especially relevant when assessing the risk of cognitive decline in older persons, because both depressive symptoms and memory complaints (when an individual feels a decrease in memory functioning but performs properly on objective tests) are linked to poor cognitive outcomes.

People suffering from depression have trouble recalling specific memories. This implies that sadness can influence several types of memories, such as declarative and autobiographical memories. A group of young people performed poorly in research when it came to pattern separation.

This is the process through which the brain encodes memories of comparable experiences and stimuli. People may feel perplexed while thinking about where they've been if pattern separation is hindered, especially if they've visited multiple comparable locations. These findings back with the theory that sadness might impair declarative memory, which includes remembering facts and experiences. Short-term memory loss is a side effect of depression.

Memory issues were linked to more severe depression symptoms in those who were depressed. Another research discovered a link between depression and cognitive function. Depression affected people's ability to pay attention and remember things. They have issues with executive function as well. The executive function is in charge of abilities that enable people to concentrate on tasks, pay attention, and self-regulate their behavior. Another study from 2014 showed that depression might damage memory even after therapy. Persons who had previously experienced depression were more likely to remember negative words from a list than people who had never encountered despair, according to one study.