A simple tool could predict risk for dementia and depression, study finds [Video]

Scientists announced in December the successful creation of the Brain Care Score, a tool for assessing dementia or stroke risk without medical procedures.

That score, which also helps patients and doctors identify beneficial lifestyle changes, may now also be able to predict the odds of developing depression later in life, according to a new study.

The 21-point Brain Care Score, or BCS, refers to how a person fares on 12 health-related factors regarding physical, lifestyle and social-emotional components of health. Having a higher BCS was associated with a lower risk of developing depression in “late life,” defined as age 60 or older, found the study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

“The Brain Care Score is a simple tool designed to help anyone in the world answer the question, ‘What …