Depressive Symptoms, Vascular Risk Factors and Mild Cognitive Impairment

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 336 - 346
• Main Authors: Panza, Francesco, D’Introno, Alessia, Colacicco, Anna M., Capurso, Cristiano, Del Parigi, Angelo, Caselli, Richard J., Todarello, Orlando, Pellicani, Vincenza, Santamato, Andrea, Scapicchio, Pierluigi, Maggi, Stefania, Scafato, Emanuele, Gandin, Claudia, Capurso, Antonio, Solfrizzi, Vincenzo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland 01.01.2008
• Subjects: Original Research Article; Depression; Vascular risk factors, dementia; Mild cognitive impairment; Epidemiology; Dementia
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000119522

Aims: We evaluated the impact of depressive symptoms on the rate of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after a 3.5-year follow-up, and we assessed the interaction between depressive symptoms and vascular risk factors for incident MCI. Methods: A total of 2,963 individuals from a sample of 5,632 65- to 84-year-old subjects were cognitively and functionally evaluated at the 1st and 2nd surveys of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a prospective cohort study with a 3.5-year follow-up. MCI and dementia were classified using current clinical criteria. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Among the 2,963 participants, 139 prevalent MCI cases were diagnosed at the 1st survey. During the 3.5-year follow-up, 105 new events of MCI were diagnosed. We did not observe any significant association between depressive symptoms and incident MCI (RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.85–1.84, χ 2 = 1.30, p < 0.25). No sociodemographic variables or vascular risk factors modified the relationship between depressive symptoms and incident MCI. Conclusion: In our population, depressive symptoms were not associated with the rate of incident MCI. Our findings did not support a role of sociodemographic variables or vascular risk factors in the link between depressive symptoms and incident MCI.