Relationship Between Depression And Daily Memory Plus Concentration
A 2016 study published by the Cognition & Emotion journal explains that depression is associated with day-to-day memory issues and concentration problems.
A depressed mood can slow down processing speed and memory recall, especially in individuals with dysphoria. Working memory can be reduced whenever a person has depressive thoughts.
Other Medications That May Cause Memory Loss
Depressed people typically take SSRIs, but some also take other medications for other mental health conditions and physical diseases. They must exercise caution when selecting medicines because certain prescribed drugs may also cause memory loss. According to the American Association of Retired Persons , these are some of the medications that may hamper the memory function of the brain:
- Antianxiety Medications: Benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety disorder, insomnia, and other mental health conditions that usually accompany depression.
- Antiseizure Drugs: These medicines were originally utilized to control and manage seizures. They are also prescribed to people with bipolar disorder, mood disorders, mania, and other mental health issues similar to depression.
- Sleep Medications: Nonbenzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics are popular as sleeping aids. They are prescribed for patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders which depressed people often experience.
- Tricyclic Antidepressants : Aside from SSRIs, TCAs are used to treat depression. They are also prescribed for people with anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and other hormone-related disorders.
The right medications can play an important role in treating and managing depression and other mental health disorders. However, patients must research the potential side effects of these prescribed drugs and consult with their health care provider before taking any medication.
Depression And Memory Loss Treatment
There is no specific treatment for memory loss in depression but three approaches are standard in the treatment of cognitive deficits common to several mental illnesses:
- Drills and exercises an example of this would be a computer program designed to exercise and improve memory.
- Learning different ways to remember things such as the use of mnemonic devices.
- Changes in the environment an example would be a memory aid, such as a recorder onto which one can dictate items to be remembered later.
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Different Types Of Memory
On a daily basis, we rely on a variety of types of memory. Here are brief descriptions of the different types of memory, how long they last, and the brain regions involved.
- Sensory memory: This lasts less than 1 second and is usually lost since it is not encoded. It is associated with the visual-sensory cortex in the parietal/occipital lobes of the brain.
- Short-term memory: This lasts less than 60 seconds, such as remembering a phone number, and involves the prefrontal cortex.
- Working memory: This lasts seconds to hours, such as cramming for an exam and is associated with the prefrontal cortex.
- Long-term memory: This lasts hours to months and involves the hippocampus. Long-term memories pass through the hippocampus then are stored in various regions throughout the brain. For example, visual cues are stored in the occipital lobes, sensory cues are stored in the parietal lobes, sounds are stored in the temporal lobes, and so on.
- Long-lasting memory: These memories last months to a lifetime and are processed in the hippocampus before being stored all over the brain.
Is Depression Memory Loss Permanent
As discussed, depression is believed to affect short-term memory loss.
When the underlying symptoms are treated, memory issues typically subside.
A recent 2019 study found a potential way to reverse the memory loss linked to both depression and aging. Therapeutic molecules rapidly improved symptoms and renewed associated brain impairments. This single dose of molecules targets the GABA system, quickly reversing memory declines.
Of course, the effect of depression and anxiety differs from one individual to the next. Memory loss can be caused by a wide range of variables, making this topic rather complex. From stress and grief to drug use and sleep deprivation, there are many causes of memory loss.
Just some of these causes include:
- Normal age-related memory loss
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Depression Causes Physical Changes To The Brain That May Contribute To Memory Loss
Does depression cause memory loss?
Researchers believe that depression causes changes in the brain that affect memory. For example, when someone experiences a depressive episode, the body goes into a stress response and releases a hormone called cortisol. Too much cortisol in the brain inhibits the growth of new brain cells in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, causing it to shrink. The hippocampus is very important for memory formation. It helps the brain form, organize, and store memories. This suggests that the stress response activated by depressive episodes may affect memory.
This disruption in cognitive function that can accompany depression symptoms can sometimes resemble the symptoms of dementia. Although not a diagnosis of dementia, when this occurs it is often referred to as pseudodementia, or dementia of depression. The good news is that by treating depression, patients generally find relief from symptoms, including difficulty with memory and concentration.
Alcohol Or Illicit Drugs
Drinking alcohol or using illicit drugs can impair your memory, both in the short term and long term. From blackouts to an increased risk of dementia years later, these substances can significantly harm your memory, among many other things. Too much alcohol can also cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which if treated immediately, may be able to be partially reversed in some people.
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What Are The Signs Of Depression
While the signs of depression may vary for each person, the most common ones include:
- Loss of interest in activities or things that gave joy earlier
- Feeling anxious, irritated, guilty, worthless, or hopeless
- Persistent tiredness
- Fluctuation in weight
- Difficulty in falling asleep or sleeping too much
- Breathing issues or pain in the head, stomach, back, and other body parts without any physical illness
- Reduced sex drive
Breakthrough Therapeutic Molecules May Reverse Memory Loss
A 2019 study by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health shows that new therapeutic molecules may reverse memory loss connected to depression and aging. This treatment could minimize the symptoms of memory dysfunction and heal brain impairments related to memory issues.
At present, there are no available prescribed drugs for treating memory loss and cognitive conditions brought about by depression and other mental disorders. In contrast, the new therapeutic molecules can reactivate the damaged brain receptors that decrease memory skills.
A team of scientists developed these therapeutic molecules through a rigorous process. First, they pinpointed the impairments in the brain cell receptors of the GABA neurotransmitter system. Next, they analyzed how these impairments can bring about memory loss and mood changes in depressed patients.
Afterward, the scientists invented tiny molecules that could bind and activate the affected receptors. The molecules are chemically altered versions of the antidepressants called benzodiazepines. They produce a therapeutic impact by fixing the damaged receptors to reduce memory impairments.
Finally, they administered the therapeutic molecules to participants. The research findings showed that the molecules effectively reversed memory decline and improved memory performance of depressed individuals and older adults.
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Depression Anxiety And Memory Loss
Living with Depression | byBlurt Team|
Memory loss is a symptom of anxiety and depression that we dont always hear about. Despite this, it can cause significant distress and have a huge impact on our lives. Understanding the link between our mental health and our memory can help us to create strategies that work for us, and to be more compassionate towards ourselves .
Suppressed Neurogenesis And Poor Pattern Separation
Between 1945 and 1963, hundreds of above-ground tests of atomic bombs were conducted , and the resulting spike in atmospheric 14C was recently used to establish the extent of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans . Based on this work, it is estimated that humans gain about 700 hippocampal neurons daily
Evidence supportive of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans
Black line shows atmospheric concentration of 14C by year the spike reflects above-ground nuclear bomb tests between 1945 and 1963. Blue dots reflect hippocampal 14C concentrations from postmortem tissue, plotted by birth date. The presence of dots above the line for individuals born before the spike, but below the line for individuals born after it, strongly suggests adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Humans take up 14C from the plants and animals they eat, and the 14C is incorporated into the DNA when the cells in the body divide to form new cells . Thus, the fact that adults born before the spike have higher than expected hippocampal 14C concentrations suggests that new hippocampal neurons were added later in their lives, when atmospheric concentrations of 14C were elevated. By the same token, the fact that adults born after the spike have lower than expected levels is consistent with the hypothesis that hippocampal neurons were added in adulthood as 14C concentrations fell. Image adapted from , with permission.
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Dopamine Dysfunction And Disrupted Memory For Positive Material
The brain constantly deals with information overload. So many sensations impinge on us that we need mechanisms to control access to long-term memory or else its capacity would quickly be overwhelmed. Two models suggest that dopamine may serve as a gatekeeper , andgiven the hypothesized role of stress-induced dopamine dysfunction in anhedonia we believe these models may provide insights into the positive memory deficit in depression . First, the Predictive Interactive Multiple Memory Systems framework highlights the role of prediction errors in memory formation. PIMMS postulates that higher-level brain structures predict the input they will receive from lower-level regions as a means for anticipating events. When predictions are met, connections between structures do not change. By contrast, when events deviate from expectationsi.e., when PEs occurconnections are updated, and this adaptation mediates the formation of new memory traces. Because dopamine is widely believed to signal PEs , PIMMS would appear to suggest a role for dopamine in memory formation.
Association between blunted reward responses and poor memory for rewarded stimuli in depression
Start Professional Healing At On Call Treatment
The bottom line is that your mental health can impact your memory function, and there is no reason to panic. This is both a common and manageable symptom of conditions like depression and anxiety. Understanding your mental health and gaining more control of it is important to your well-being, and there are a variety of ways that you can work to improve your well-being at On Call Treatment Center.
At On Call Treatment, we know that no two situations are the same, which is why we provide a highly individualized approach to comprehensive healing. In addition to Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient treatment, we offer over-the-phone and virtual care, making receiving the help you need more convenient than ever before.
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Does Depression Cause Permanent Brain Damage
Isolated incidents of depression usually do not have a profound effect on the brain later on, especially if the episodes dont last for years at a time. But in adults older than 65, research has shown that repeated episodes of depression can predispose patients to develop dementia.
As for medications, most antidepressants have not been conclusively shown to negatively affect memory. In fact, they may actually help improve memory, especially if the patient has pseudodementia, which is memory impairment due to the effects of having depression. However, certain antidepressants that are anticholinergic such as the older tricyclic antidepressants as well as other non-psychiatric medications with anticholinergic side effects can put the patient at risk for short term or even long-term memory problems if theyre being taken for years at a time or taken by an elderly patient.
How To Improve Your Memory
Dr. Bonner-Jackson says there are proven ways to boost brain health, which may help lower your risk for Alzheimers disease and dementia.
But keep in mind that memory loss does not automatically mean theres something wrong with your health or that you will develop Alzheimers. Resolving the problem may involve practicing meditation or other stress-busting techniques, getting more sleep or eating a balanced diet, explains Dr. Bonner-Jackson. The key is to pay attention to memory loss and talk to your doctor to figure out whats causing it.
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The #1 Cause Of Memory Loss
The #1 cause of memory loss is simply getting older. Some forgetfulness is normal and doesnt indicate a serious problem.
Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging,says the National Institute on Aging. As people get older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain. As a result, some people may notice that it takes longer to learn new things, they dont remember information as well as they did, or they lose things like their glasses. These usually are signs of mild forgetfulness, not serious memory problems, like Alzheimers disease.
Read on to find out when memory loss can indicate something more serious.
Relationship Between Depression And Dementia Plus Poor Cognition
A 2019 study by the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals that depression and other affective disorders are linked to dementia, poor cognition, and fast cognitive decline during the late adulthood stage.
The researchers analyzed data from the National Child Development Study, evaluating the memory, processing speed, accuracy, and verbal fluency of 50-year-old participants. The results showed that long-term mental health conditions might lead to impaired cognition when patients reach the mid-life stage of their lives.
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Relationship Between Depression And Subjective Memory Loss
A 2018 study by the Psychological Medicine journal reveals that depression does impact the memory functions of people.
During this study, the researchers explored the effects of depression on memory problems for participants who reported at least one symptom of depression. They evaluated how depression symptoms affected subjective memory and objective memory . The results showed that depression is associated with subjective memory loss.
Coping With Memory Loss
There isnt an overnight anxiety cure yet. Treating anxiety takes time. But there are plenty of things you can do to help your memory recover more quickly in the meantime.
For starters, there are plenty of mental exercises you can carry out to improve memory. There are also loads of foods available that nourish the synapses and nerves responsible for remembering.
Some of the best tips to accelerate taking back control of your memory include:
- Writing stuff down. It can be helpful to make notes of important stuff you want to remember. But its important to not get hypervigilant about this and let it spiral into an obsession.
- Spend time with friends and family. Spending time with loved ones makes you less anxious, in theory. So long as your family are people you feel safe with, being around them fora while could lower your anxiety levels and clear away some of that brain fog.
- Exercise. Studies have shown that physical exercise may benefit your cognitive processes and memory . Doing some sudoku and hitting the gym wont give you photographic recall, but they do make your brain better at storing and retrieving information.
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Relationship Between Depression Risk Factors And Memory Loss Vulnerability
Scientific research shows that people who are diagnosed with depression may be susceptible to memory loss.
While it is possible for everyone to get depressed, the American Psychiatric Association explains that major risk factors can make certain people vulnerable to depression:
- Environmental Causes: The consistent exposure to negative factors like abuse, neglect, violence, and poverty may increase a persons tendency to become depressed.
- Genetics: Genetics can play a role in the onset of depression. This mental health condition sometimes affects different members of the same family.
- Biochemistry: The unique chemical makeup of the brain of a person can lead to depression symptoms.
- Personality: Individuals who suffer from low self-esteem, are affected by stress, or have a pessimistic streak may encounter depression.
Since depression and memory loss are connected, the risk factors for depression may also be contributing elements to related memory problems and cognitive issues.
Depression Affects Sleep Quality Which Affects Memory
Most people who struggle with depression complain of fatigue and changes in sleep habits. These sleep disruptions can affect cognitive function. Depression is associated with an imbalance in certain neurotransmitters that regulate mood and also regulate sleep. This imbalance of neurotransmitters may be why individuals who struggle with depression experience insomnia or hypersomnia .
A recent study shows that getting too little or too much sleep affects cognitive function, specifically visual memory and response time. In this study, researchers found that the optimal amount of sleep for the brain to perform at its best was 7 to 9 hours and that sleeping less than 7 hours or more than 9 hours a night resulted in impaired cognitive function.
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Other Issues That Can Cause Memory Loss
Not all memory loss is caused by depression, meaning you generally shouldnt assume that you could be depressed just because you notice yourself experiencing difficulty retaining information or find that you forget things more often than normal.
Other potential causes of memory loss include:
Its important to talk to your healthcare provider if you think that an issue other than depression might be causing or contributing to memory loss.
What Works Best For Treating Depression And Anxiety In Dementia
- By Stephanie Collier, MD, MPH, Contributor
Its 3 pm on a warm, sunny Saturday. For the past 20 years your mother would dress in her finest clothes and walk to her neighbors house for her weekly bridge game. For the past month, however, she has not been interested in playing bridge. Although she sometimes required prompting , she usually returned from these games cheerful. Her indifference this month is new.
Your mother received the diagnosis of mild Alzheimers disease last year. Although visibly frustrated at times, especially when she cannot think of the right word or find her pocketbook, she seemed to enjoy her routine until recently. You now see her crying in the morning. She is no longer sleeping or eating well, and she becomes scared when you leave her for a moment. You wonder whether she might benefit from medications.
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