title: Temporal relation between depression and cognitive impairment in old age: prospective population based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the temporal relation between depression and cognitive impairment in old age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, population based study with four years of follow up.
  
  
  METHODS
  City of Leiden, the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  500 people aged 85 years at recruitment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Annual assessments of depressive symptoms (15 item geriatric depression scale), global cognitive function (mini-mental state examination), attention (Stroop test), processing speed (letter digit coding test), and immediate and delayed recall (12 word learning test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 85 years old, participants' depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment were highly significantly correlated (P < 0.001). During follow up, an accelerated annual increase of depressive symptoms was associated with impaired attention (0.08 points (95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.16)), immediate recall (0.17 points (0.09 to 0.25)), and delayed recall (0.10 points (0.02 to 0.18)) at baseline. In contrast, depressive symptoms at baseline were not related to an accelerated cognitive decline during follow up (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregivers should be aware of the development of depressive symptoms when cognitive impairment is present. However, the presence of depression only does not increase the risk of cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of General Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Vinkers
authors.forename: Jacobijn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gussekloo
authors.forename: Max L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stek
authors.forename: Rudi G J
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Westendorp
authors.forename: Roos C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: van der Mast
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies