Depression is common in people who have Alzheimer’s, especially in the mild-to-moderate stages of the disease.
“People may worry about what the future holds for them or have a sense of loss over how they’d envisioned their future,” says Karen Martinez, PhD, a neuropsychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. “And sometimes, in the later stages, you can have some irritability, anxiety, and depression from the disease process itself.”
Dr. Martinez says Alzheimer’s tends to affect an area of the brain that borders the amygdala, which helps regulate emotions. Sometimes the neurodegeneration that occurs there can cause mood changes, she says.
“If you have an underlying condition [such as Alzheimer’s] and you add an extra burden onto it [such as depression], it can really reduce your abilities from a functional standpoint,” says Dr. Bernick. With that in mind, tending to your emotional well-being should be a core component of your treatment plan.
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