Depressive symptoms and inductive reasoning performance: findings from the ACTIVE reasoning training intervention

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study investigated cognitive training in older adults.
• Depressive symptoms are common in older adults and may affect cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the longitudinal association between baseline depressive symptoms and inductive reasoning performance over 10 years.
• To determine if depressive symptoms impact the ability to benefit from reasoning training.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 1,375 participants from the ACTIVE study.
• Assessment of baseline depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).
• Longitudinal evaluation of inductive reasoning performance over a 10-year period, comparing training and control groups.

Main Results:

• 23% of participants reported elevated depressive symptoms at baseline.
• Baseline depressive status was not associated with immediate post-training gains in reasoning.
• No association was found between baseline depressive symptoms and subsequent annual changes in reasoning performance.

Conclusions:

• Elevated baseline depressive symptoms do not appear to impede the ability of older adults to benefit from inductive reasoning training.
• Cognitive training may be effective for older adults regardless of their baseline depressive symptom levels.