Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes in Older People With Depressive Symptoms: Relationship With Clinical Variables and Hippocampal Change

Hirosha K Jayaweera; Ian B Hickie; Shantel L Duffy; Daniel F Hermens; Loren Mowszowski; Keri Diamond; Zoe Terpening; Matthew Paradise; Simon J G Lewis; Jim Lagopoulos; Sharon L Naismith

doi:10.1177/0891988715573535

Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes in Older People With Depressive Symptoms: Relationship With Clinical Variables and Hippocampal Change

J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2015 Sep;28(3):174-83. doi: 10.1177/0891988715573535. Epub 2015 Mar 10.

Affiliations

¹ Healthy Brain Ageing Program, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Clinical Research Unit, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
² Clinical Research Unit, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
³ Healthy Brain Ageing Program, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Clinical Research Unit, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia sharon.naismith@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 25762610
DOI: 10.1177/0891988715573535

Abstract

Aims: To examine the rates and clinical characteristics of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older people with depressive symptoms and to determine the relative contribution of hippocampal volume and MCI to memory change.

Method: One hundred and fifty-two participants with lifetime Major Depression and remitted or mild symptoms and 28 healthy controls underwent psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments. Magnetic resonance imaging was also conducted in a subset of the patients (n = 81) and healthy controls (n = 18).

Results: MCI was diagnosed in 75.7% of the patients and was associated with increasing age, medical burden, vascular risk factors, later age of depression onset and smaller hippocampi. Multiple regression showed that both hippocampal volume and MCI diagnosis mediate memory performance in depression.

Conclusions: MCI occurs in older adults with a history of depression and is not simply due to symptom severity. Memory change is linked to underlying hippocampal atrophy in this patient group.

Keywords: Depression; MRI; Memory; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Neuroimaging.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Atrophy / pathology
Cognitive Dysfunction / classification
Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnosis*
Cognitive Dysfunction / psychology
Depression / psychology*
Depressive Disorder, Major
Female
Hippocampus / pathology*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Male
Memory
Middle Aged
Neuroimaging*
Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data*
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Risk Factors