Anxiety and Depression as Risk Factors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: The HUNT Study

Abstract

Background: The roles of both anxiety and depression as risk factors for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have not been previously investigated together. Objective: To study anxiety and depression as independent risk factors for FTD and AD. Methods: Eighty-four patients with FTD and 556 patients with AD were compared with 117 cognitively healthy (CH), elderly individuals. Both cases and controls were participants in the second Health Study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT2) from 1995 to 1997, in which depression and anxiety were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Significant associations were found between anxiety and FTD and between depression and AD. A significantly increased risk of developing FTD was observed in patients who had reported anxiety on the HADS ( p = 0.017) (odds ratio [OR]: 2.947, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.209–7.158) and a significantly increased risk of developing AD was observed in patients who had reported depression on the HADS ( p = 0.016) (OR: 4.389, 95% CI: 1.311–14.690). Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that anxiety and depression may play different roles as risk factors for FTD and AD.