title: Depressive symptoms and risk for dementia: a 9-year follow-up of the Maastricht Aging Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression relates to vascular disease and is a candidate risk factor for dementia. We assessed the risk associated with depressive symptoms for Alzheimer-type dementia and vascular dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Depressive symptoms (SCL-90 depression subscale) were assessed in 771 community-dwelling individuals age 55 years and older. Onset of dementia (N = 37) was recorded at serial assessments 3, 6, and 9 years after baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressive symptom scores predicted all-type dementia (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01-1.10), and vascular dementia (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.03-1.19), but not Alzheimer-type dementia (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.98-1.09). People scoring in the upper quartile of the SCL-90 depression scale (N = 180) were at increased risk for dementia (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.01-4.22). Results were unchanged after co-varying for baseline mini-mental state exam and presence of vascular disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressive symptoms increase the risk for later dementia in community-dwelling older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. s.koehler@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Boxtel
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jolles
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verhey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors