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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Depressive symptoms predict longitudinal change in executive control but not memory
Donald R Royall1, Raymond Palmer, Laura K Chiodo
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA. royall@uthscsa.edu
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|February 26, 2011
Summary
Depression is linked to cognitive decline in older adults, specifically affecting executive control functions, not memory. This finding suggests depression may impact cognitive aging independently of Alzheimer's disease pathology.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Depression is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in non-demented individuals.
- Understanding the relationship between depression and cognitive decline is crucial for aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between baseline depressive symptoms and longitudinal cognitive changes in older adults.
- To determine if depression predicts decline in memory and executive control functions.
Main Methods:
- Latent Growth Curve modeling was used to analyze data from 547 older retirees.
- Depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).
- Cognitive functions including memory (CVLT) and executive control (EXIT25, Trails-B) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a decline in psychomotor speed (Trails A) and executive control function (EXIT25).
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, education, and baseline care level.
- No significant association was found between depressive symptoms and memory decline.
Conclusions:
- Depressive symptoms are linked to longitudinal cognitive decline, particularly in executive control functions.
- The association appears selective, not affecting memory, and may involve specific executive functions.
- While depression might accelerate progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, it's unlikely mediated by Alzheimer's disease pathology.
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