Correlation Between Depression and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Outpatients: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Introduction

Depressive disorder is common psychiatric morbidity among the elderly outpatients. It is also evident that cognitive disorders, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia, are widely prevalent in the elderly coexistence of the above is quite common. Treatment for both conditions is quite challenging, aiming at symptomatic relief and improvement in functional status.

Objectives

To investigate the coexistence of depression and cognitive impairment in aged depressive outpatients, 65 years or older. Correlation of cognitive level and depressive symptomatology was measured.

Method

We used hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) and MMSE in 35 (mean age 68.2 years) depressed outpatients over 65-year-old. We excluded depressed schizophrenics and bipolar patient.

Results.

On a preliminary basis, a correlation between low MMSe and HAM-D (P < 0.05) was found. An interesting finding, though not measured primarily, was that low MMSE was accompanied with a low compliance with medication.

Conclusions

The mental deterioration that accompanies cognitive impairment is being widely studied and it is real complex. In our ongoing study previous findings are confirmed and can be interpreted both ways, i.e. depression is a risk factor for dementia and also the fact that existing dementia is positively correlated with a low HAM-D.

Compliance to medication is affected, among other variables, by the patients’ mental state.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.