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Asymptomatic spontaneous cerebral emboli and mood in a cohort of older people: a prospective study
Richard C Oude Voshaar1, Nitin Purandare, Jayne Hardicre
1Division of Psychiatry, Education and Research Centre, University of Manchester, South Manchester University Hospital, Wythenshawe, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To examine whether asymptomatic spontaneous cerebral emboli (SCE) predicts subsequent depression in older people.
Methods:
Prospective cohort study with 2.5 years of follow-up including 96 nondepressed older subjects in primary care. Presence of SCE was measured at baseline by transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery and modeled on depression at follow-up using multiple logistic and linear regression analyses.
Results:
The prevalence of depressive disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria did not differ significantly between SCE-positive and SCE-negative subjects (27% versus 12%), while the severity of depressive symptoms did (Geriatric Depression Scale: beta = 0.22; Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale: beta = 0.25). These differences disappeared after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusion:
These preliminary findings suggest that asymptomatic SCE may be an interceding factor in the development of late-life depression, consistent with the vascular depression hypothesis.
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