Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 14, 2026
Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
Changes in Geriatric Depression Scale scores in relation to physical performance, inflammatory status, and
Chiara Ceolin1, Caterina Trevisan2, Marianna Noale3
1Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Geriatric Unit, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy; Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Aging Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background:
Depression in older adults often goes undiagnosed due to subtle symptoms. Physical performance tests, established health markers, may help assess links between mental and physical health. This study examined 7-year changes in Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores in relation to physical performance, considering sex differences.
Methods:
Data were from the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Italians ≥65). Baseline measures included physical performance (handgrip, gait speed, chair-stand test), GDS, and inflammatory status (assessed via fibrinogen, ESR, and WBC). Hippocampal atrophy was evaluated in 759 subjects using temporal horn and interuncal distance. After 7 years, physical performance and GDS were reassessed. Linear mixed models examined GDS changes over time relative to performance.
Results:
Among 1429 participants (mean age 73.4; 794 women), handgrip, gait speed, and chair-stand test were associated with GDS at baseline, independent of inflammation. Higher gait speed (B = -4.33; 95 % CI -8.23 to -0.43; p = 0.03) and poorer chair-stand performance (B = 8.15; 95 % CI 4.84-11.46; p < 0.001) were associated with higher GDS scores over follow-up. In sex-stratified analyses, only the chair-stand test remained significant in both men (B = 7.52; p = 0.003) and women (B = 8.30; p < 0.001). In the MRI subgroup, among participants with hippocampal atrophy below the median, time interactions were significant for handgrip strength and the chair-stand test. With atrophy above the median, time interactions were not significant, but the chair-stand test showed a significant main effect (B = 11.61; p = 0.04). By sex, the chair-stand test was associated with GDS in women irrespective of atrophy status, while it did not reach significance in men with high atrophy.
Conclusions:
Physical performance measures are associated with GDS scores. While this relationship warrants further exploration, monitoring physical function may serve as a valuable intervention target for improving mental health in older adults.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
01:26Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...