Late-Life Mood Disorders May Indicate Predisposition to Dementia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 30, 2025 -- Alzheimer disease (AD) and diverse non-AD tau pathologies may contribute to late-life mood disorders (LLMDs), according to a study published online June 9 in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Shin Kurose, from the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology in Japan, and colleagues examined the involvement of AD and non-AD tau pathologies in a study involving 52 participants with LLMDs and 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Participants underwent tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using 18F-florzolotau and 11C-Pittsburgh compound B. In addition, a clinicopathological correlation analysis was conducted in 208 autopsy cases, including neurodegenerative diseases.
The researchers found that compared with healthy controls, participants with LLMDs were more likely to be tau PET- and Aβ PET-positive. These results were supported by the postmortem results that showed higher likelihood of diverse tauopathies in patients with versus those without late-life mania or depression.
"Because most of the participants with LLMDs in our study had no or mild cognitive decline, these results support the evidence that neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer and non-Alzheimer tau-related pathologies, can initially manifest as psychiatric symptoms," Kurose said in a statement.
Two authors hold patents on compounds related to this study.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
Alopecia Areata Associated With Severe Psychosocial Impact
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Alopecia areata (AA) has a severe psychosocial impact, which is linked to illness perceptions and stigma more strongly than disease severity, according...
Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...
Cancer Anxiety Impacts Family Members of Those Diagnosed With Cancer
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- A cancer diagnosis places an emotional burden on the loved ones of those diagnosed, according to the results of a survey released by the Ohio State...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.