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Follow-up study of depression in the elderly

Clinical and SPECT data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Eleanor Halloran ,
Neil Prentice ,
Catherine L. Murray ,
Ronan E. O'Carroll ,
Michael F. Glabus ,
Guy M. Goodwin  and
Klaus P. Ebmeier
Eleanor Halloran*
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Neil Prentice
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Catherine L. Murray
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Ronan E. O'Carroll
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Michael F. Glabus
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Guy M. Goodwin
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
Klaus P. Ebmeier
Affiliation:
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
*
Professor Klaus P. Ebmeier, MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EHI0 5HF
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Abstract

Background

Imaging studies in depression of the elderly are often small and highly selective.

Aims

To investigate a large group of elderly depressed patients in order to assess changes in clinical, imaging and neuropsychological variables at follow-up.

Method

Patients (n=175, age range 65–91 years) with clinical depression were identified from consecutive local referrals. Clinical interviews, neuropsychological tests and SPECT scans were carried out at referral and at two-year follow-up.

Results

Of 84 re-examined patients, 46.5% were well, 9.5% were ill, 33% partially recovered and 11% had developed dementia. Duration of illness before index assessment was the only factor to predict outcome. Thirty-nine patients could be scanned and followed up. There were no differences between patients with good or poor depressive outcome on SPECT. Ten clinically improved patients could be re-examined with SPECT. There were relative increases in right cingulate gyrus and right cerebellum at follow-up.

Conclusions

The patient group was comparable with other studies showing high levels of residual depressive symptoms. Activity changes in limbic cortex are implicated in depression of old age.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 175 , Issue 3 , September 1999 , pp. 252 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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