title: White matter hyperintensities rather than lacunar infarcts are associated with depressive symptoms in older people: the LADIS study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and lacunar infarcts have been associated with the development of depression in older subjects, although the relative importance of the two and the influence of lesion location and concomitant vascular disease are unclear. This study investigates the relationship between location and burden of WMH and lacunes on depressive features in older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a pan-European multicenter study of 626 older subjects, the authors examined the relationship between regional magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensities, number of lacunar infarcts, depressive symptoms as assessed by the 15-item geriatric depression scale (GDS), cognitive status (Mini-Mental Status Examination), hypertension, and self-perceived health quality of life (QoL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found depressive symptoms to be correlated with WMH rating in the frontal (N=626; Spearman's rho=0.161, p <0.001) and temporal (rho=0.14, p <0.001) but not occipitoparietal region (rho=0.07, p=0.07). Basal ganglia lacunes were only weakly correlated with GDS (rho=0.09, p=0.03), and lacunes in other regions showed no association. In a ordinal logistic regression model (controlling for QoL, Mini-Mental Status Examination, age, and with an interaction between WMH and hypertension), temporal WMH in the absence of hypertension independently predicted GDS, whereas neither history of stroke nor number of lacunar infarcts did. The authors compared left- versus right-sided WMH and found no effect of laterality on depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that in this population of nondisabled older people, WMH have a greater influence on depressive symptoms than infarcts.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Firbank
authors.forename: Mani S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Elisabeth C W
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: van Straaten
authors.forename: Wiesje M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: van der Flier
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pantoni
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkinjuntti
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: Lars-Olof
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Wahlund
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzitari
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires