NEW DELHI: US researchers have developed a novel tool that can help reduce the onset of depression in individuals over 60.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham, in collaboration with Yale University, have shown that a higher Brain Care Score (BCS) is associated with a lower risk of late-life depression.

The findings, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, highlight the potential of the BCS in helping patients make lifestyle changes to improve brain health.

“The Brain Care Score is a simple tool designed to help anyone in the world answer the question, ‘What can I do to take better care of my brain?’” said Jonathan Rosand, co-founder of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The study indicates that raising the BCS can lower the risk of depression, dementia, and stroke.

It also highlights a bright opportunity to prevent these conditions.

The BCS focuses on modifiable risk factors: Physical (blood pressure, haemoglobin A1c, cholesterol, BMI), lifestyle (nutrition, alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, sleep), and social/emotional (stress, relationships, life purpose).

The study, based on data from over 350,000 participants, found that a five-point increase in BCS was associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of late-life depression, although researchers found a significant link between baseline BCS and depression risk in under-50s, contrary to expectations.

They are now investigating the neurobiological basis of this association in younger individuals, although much remains to be learnt.