A new research is of the suggestion that depression may likely double the risk of suffering from dementia in the later stage of a person's life.

Specialists have known that the two conditions usually do exist on a parallel plane; however, it is not very clear as to whether or not one leads to the other.

Now two studies, which have been published in the American journal Neurology, suggest that depression does mean dementia is more probable, though they do not illustrate why.

The researchers on the other hand claim that the readings just expose the association between the two and do not establish a direct cause.

They stress that more studies should be carried out, in order to find out why the two conditions are associated.

They perceive that brain chemistry and lifestyle factors such as diet and the amount of social time an individual involves oneself in may play a role.

Dr. Jane Saczynski of the University of Massachusetts, who played the lead to conduct the first of the two studies, said that whilst it's uncertain if depression causes dementia, there are a lot of mechanisms involved where depression might have an impact upon the risk of dementia.

Inflammation of brain tissue takes place when a person is under depression that might add to dementia. Certain proteins that are found in the brain that amplify with depression could also raise the risk of developing this condition.