Researchers identify commonality between psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases

Aug. 30, 2022

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A recent study in Nature Communications by researchers at Emory University and Rush University in Chicago points to the intersection between psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases that may prove why people with mid-life depression have increased risk for dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists identified genetic associations to individual proteins in the brain for many psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. These results led the researchers to notice proteins involved in both psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. Beyond finding proteins implicated in the development of both kinds of conditions, they also found a striking number of causal proteins interact, which proves some illnesses may predispose to others or why two conditions may have shared symptoms.

The study was led by Emory Healthcare psychiatrist Aliza Wingo and neurologist Thomas Wingo and also included biochemist Nicholas Seyfried, neurologist Allan Levey and neurologist David Bennett from Rush University, among others.

Many neurodegenerative diseases cause people to develop symptoms very similar to those seen in major psychiatric illnesses. The researchers will continue to explore whether these proteins contribute to those symptoms – especially if it could help identify ways of reducing the symptoms.

“Finding treatments for depression or other mid-life psychiatric conditions is challenging and the clinicians at the frontlines understand that it is important,” says Aliza Wingo, MD, associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine.

“While it remains unclear whether treatment of major psychiatric illnesses in mid-life will reduce late-life risk for a neurodegenerative disease, it seems reasonable to think it may. We hope this will empower more providers who see and treat those individuals to know their work is likely to have echoing ramifications,” says Thomas Wingo, MD, associate professor of Neurology and Human Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine.

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