Study of neuropsychological deficits in late onset depression

Older adults with depression often have cognitive deficits contributing to higher morbidity and increased risk for conversion to dementia. Research on this area is limited from India.

The objective of the current study is to examine the neuropsychological measures in older adults with Late-onset depression (LOD) compared to healthy controls (HC).

Sample included older adults with depression as per DSM-IV TR criteria seeking treatment from Geriatric Clinic and Services, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Geriatric depression scale, Montgomery Asberg depression rating scale and Hamilton anxiety rating scale were applied to screen and measure the severity of depression. Comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive function was done using NIMAHNS Neuropsychological Battery for Elderly (NNBE, 2013).

Sample included 76 LOD patients and 76 healthy controls (HC) who were matched for age, gender and education. The mean age of onset of illness was 63.17(SD-6.54) years and median duration of total illness was 29.5 months. In the standard assessments, the mean score on GDS was 9.28 (SD-3.32) and MADRS was 18.88 (SD-6.07). The LOD group had lower Hindi Mental Status Examination (HMSE) score compared to HC (28.64 ± 2.09 vs 30.05 ± 1.26, p < 0.001). Compared to HC, LOD group performed poorly on tasks of attention, executive function, verbal and visual memory, verbal fluency and visuo-spatial skills. Recognition memory and logical memory were relatively preserved in LOD compared to HC.

Cognitive deficits were seen predominantly in attention and executive function, visuo-spatial skills and memory similar to previous studies. It is advisable to routinely assess cognitive symptoms in older adults presenting with depression.