"Vascular Depression" Predicts Verbal Fluency in Older Adults

• Published in: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 495 - 508
• Main Authors: Yochim, Brian P., MacNeill, Susan E., Lichtenberg, Peter A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01.05.2006; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Depression - etiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Predictive Value of Tests; Problem Solving; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Time Factors; Vascular Diseases - complications; Verbal Behavior - physiology; Human; Verbal ability; Verbal fluency; Language; Cardiovascular disease; Cognition; Vascular depression; Predictive factor; Elderly
• ISSN: 1380-3395; 1744-411X
• DOI: 10.1080/13803390590949322

Past research has found links among cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs), depression, and cognition in older adults. This study investigated how well baseline cerebrovascular burden and depression predicted verbal fluency three and six months later. Participants were 139 medical rehabilitation patients, age 60 and above. The Geriatric Depression Scale, Charlson Co-Morbidity Index, and Dementia Rating Scale were administered at baseline, and verbal fluency was measured three and six months later. Structural equation modeling found that depression significantly predicted verbal fluency at both time points, independently of demographic variables, baseline cognition, or medical burden. CVRFs correlated with depressive symptoms but did not independently predict verbal fluency. Findings suggest that vascular depression may be a possible signal of impaired brain integrity, consistent with Alexopoulos and colleague's (2000) conceptual framework.