title: Relationship between progression of brain white matter changes and late-life depression: 3-year results from the LADIS study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain white matter changes (WMC) and depressive symptoms are linked, but the directionality of this association remains unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between baseline and incident depression and progression of white matter changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a longitudinal multicentre pan-European study (Leukoaraiosis and Disability in the elderly, LADIS), participants aged over 64 underwent baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical assessments. Repeat scans were obtained at 3 years. Depressive outcomes were assessed in terms of depressive episodes and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Progression of WMC was measured using the modified Rotterdam Progression scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Progression of WMC was significantly associated with incident depression during year 3 of the study (P = 0.002) and remained significant after controlling for transition to disability, baseline WMC and baseline history of depression. There was no significant association between progression of WMC and GDS score, and no significant relationship between progression of WMC and history of depression at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the vascular depression hypothesis and implicate WMC as causal in the pathogenesis of late-life depression.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University Wolfson Research Centre, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. michael.firbank@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Firbank
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teodorczuk
authors.forename: Wiesje M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: van der Flier
authors.forename: Alida A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gouw
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkinjuntti
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzitari
authors.forename: Lars-Olof
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Wahlund
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pantoni
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poggesi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pracucci
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langhorne
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis