Plasma GFAP modifies the association of depressive symptoms with cognitive function: A population-based study

Late-life depression is associated with cognitive impairment, but the underlying neural basis remains to be elucidated. We investigated the role of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related plasma biomarkers in the depression-cognition association.

Baseline data from 11,059 community-dwelling older adults in the Alzheimer's Disease Screening and Prediction cohort in central China were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2); cognitive function with the Memory and Executive Screening (MES); and plasma phosphorylated tau217, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain were measured using chemiluminescent immunoassays. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were applied.

Higher PHQ-2 scores were associated with lower MES scores, and depression was associated with cognitive impairment. Plasma biomarkers were associated with cognitive outcomes but not depressive symptoms. None of the biomarkers attenuated or mediated the associations of either PHQ-2 scores or depression status with cognition. In contrast, associations between depressive symptoms and cognitive outcomes were stronger among individuals with higher GFAP levels.

GFAP emerged as a significant modifier of the association between depressive symptoms and cognition in this cross-sectional community-based cohort.