title: Executive dysfunction and disability in elderly patients with major depression.
abstract: The authors studied 126 elderly patients without dementia and with unipolar major depression. Impairment in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) was significantly associated with age (P<0.0001), gender (P<0.001), medical burden (P=0.013), severity of depression (P=0.01), initiation/perseveration (IP; P=0.035), and IP x depression (P=0.029). Depression was associated with IADL impairment mainly in patients with impaired IP. Among the cognitive impairments, IP-only contributed significantly to IADL impairment, whereas attention, construction, conceptualization, and memory did not. Attention to executive function and disability may guide clinical management and lead to development of innovative pharmacological and behavioral interventions.
authors.affiliation: Weil College of Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Kiosses
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klimstra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index