Depression, cognitive impairment and dementia: Why should clinicians care about the web of causation?

Depression, cognitive impairment and dementia are all common in older adults. The relationship between them is bi-directional and complex. The literature on the subject is growing and fascinating but also riddled with apparent inconsistencies. This brief review attempts to clarify and integrate information from clinical, laboratory, and community studies and to draw some inferences of potential relevance to clinicians.