title: Six-month Follow-up of Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms in Late-onset Depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess cognitive performance in elderly depressed patients following treatment for 6 months. Remission rate of depression after 6 months of treatment was calculated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in a consecutive group of patients aged ≥ 65 years with late-onset depression. Severity of depression was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Scale, cognitive performance by the Hong Kong Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and functional level by the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 52 patients were recruited. In all, 28 (53.8%) were found to have cognitive impairment at baseline and 8 (28.6%) of them had improvement after 6 months. This cognitively impaired group was older and had a lower Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale score. The remission rate of depression was 61.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive impairment constituted a stable feature in a considerable number of elderly patients with depression. About two-thirds of patients achieved remission of depression after 6 months of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: M M C
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, 1/F, Block F, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, 1/F, Block F, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, 1/F, Block F, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Age of onset; Depression; Mild cognitive impairment