title: Late-life depression is not associated with dementia-related pathology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that late-life depression is associated with dementia-related pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Older participants (n = 1,965) in 3 longitudinal clinical-pathologic cohort studies who had no cognitive impairment at baseline underwent annual clinical evaluations for a mean of 8.0 years (SD = 5.0). The authors defined depression diagnostically, as major depression during the study period, and psychometrically, as elevated depressive symptoms during the study period, and established their relation to cognitive outcomes (incident dementia, rate of cognitive decline). A total of 657 participants died and underwent a uniform neuropathologic examination. The authors estimated the association of depression with 6 dementia-related markers (tau tangles, beta-amyloid plaques, Lewy bodies, hippocampal sclerosis, gross and microscopic infarcts) in logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the full cohort, 9.4% were diagnosed with major depression and 8.6% had chronically elevated depressive symptoms, both of which were related to adverse cognitive outcomes. In the 657 persons who died and had a neuropathologic examination, higher beta-amyloid plaque burden was associated with higher likelihood of major depression (present in 11.0%; OR = 1.392, 95% CI = 1.088, 1.780) but not with elevated depressive symptoms (present in 11.3%; OR = 0.919, 95% CI = 0.726, 1.165). None of the other pathologic markers was related to either of the depression measures. Neither dementia nor antidepressant medication modified the relation of pathology to depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results do not support the hypothesis that major depression is associated with dementia-related pathology.
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Ana W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Family Medicine, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Raj C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hoganson
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Sukriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides