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Depressive symptoms predict slow cognitive decline in mild dementia
J G E Janzing1, P Naarding, P Eling
1Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; the Nijmegen Institute for Cognition and Information, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. j.janzing@psy.umcn.nl
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
|May 24, 2005
Summary
In patients with mild dementia, higher levels of mood symptoms, not syndromal depression, predicted slower cognitive decline. This suggests depressive symptoms may indicate preserved cognitive function in early dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Depression is a potential prognostic marker for cognitive decline in dementia.
- Previous studies yielded inconclusive results, often focusing solely on syndromal depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prognostic value of syndromal depression, subsyndromal depression, and dimensions of depressive symptoms on cognitive decline in mild dementia.
- To explore the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in early-stage dementia.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study followed 32 subjects with mild dementia for 12 months.
- Assessed syndromal depression (GMS-AGECAT), subsyndromal depression, and dimensions of depressive symptoms.
- Monitored cognitive decline over the follow-up period.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of mood symptoms, specifically, predicted a slower rate of cognitive decline.
- Neither syndromal nor subsyndromal depression was found to predict cognitive decline.
- The findings suggest that reporting depressive symptoms may reflect better preserved cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Depressive symptom dimensions, rather than syndromal depression, are more informative regarding cognitive trajectory in mild dementia.
- The reporting of depressive symptoms in mild dementia might indicate a relative intactness of cognitive functions not captured by standard screening tools.