Relationship Between Cognitive Impairment and Depression Among Middle Aged and Older Adults in Primary Care

Overview

Journal Gerontol Geriatr Med

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2024 Mar 13

PMID 38476882

Authors

Alex D Federman

Jacqueline Becker

Fernando Carnavali

Monica Rivera Mindt

Dayeon Cho

Gaurav Pandey

Lili Chan

Laura Curtis

Michael S Wolf

Juan P Wisnivesky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

To determine rates of previously undetected cognitive impairment among patients with depression in primary care. Patients ages 55 and older with no documented history of dementia or mild cognitive impairment were recruited from primary care practices in New York City, NY and Chicago, IL ( = 855). Cognitive function was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-8. The mean age was 66.8 (8.0) years, 45.3% were male, 32.7% Black, and 29.2% Latinx. Cognitive impairment increased with severity of depression: 22.9% in persons with mild depression, 27.4% in moderate depression and 41.8% in severe depression ( = .0002). Severe depression was significantly associated with cognitive impairment in multivariable analysis (standardized β = -.11, = 0.33, < .0001). Depression was strongly associated with previously undetected cognitive impairment. Primary care clinicians should consider screening, or expand their screening, for both conditions.

Citing Articles

Longitudinal patterns of cognitive function and depression: insights from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Yang L, Xu Y, Zhao H, Wang K, Zheng C J Glob Health. 2025; 15:04060.

PMID: 40017457 PMC: 11868976. DOI: 10.7189/jogh.15.04060.

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