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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
09:30
Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices
Published on: October 16, 2019
White matter changes and late-life depressive symptoms: longitudinal study
A Teodorczuk1, J T O'Brien, M J Firbank
1Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK. andrew.teodorczuk@ncl.ac.uk
The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|September 4, 2007
Summary
Brain white matter changes predict depression in older adults. This study shows that these changes precede and are linked to the development of depressive symptoms, offering insights for future treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Cross-sectional studies suggest a link between age-related white matter changes and depression in older adults.
- The temporal relationship between white matter changes and depressive symptoms is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if age-related white matter changes on MRI predict depressive symptoms at one year.
- To control for known confounding factors in older adults.
Main Methods:
- A pan-European multicenter study involved 639 older adults without significant disability.
- Baseline assessments included MRI for white matter changes, cognitive scores, quality of life, disability, and depressive symptoms.
- Clinical assessments were repeated at one year.
Main Results:
- Severity of white matter changes independently predicted depressive symptoms at one year.
- This prediction remained significant after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, quality of life, and worsening disability (P<0.01).
Conclusions:
- White matter changes precede and are associated with the development of depressive symptoms in older adults.
- Findings have implications for the treatment and prevention of late-life depression.
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