title: Improvement in Depression is Associated with Improvement in Cognition in Late-Life Psychotic Depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize cognitive function at baseline and investigate the relationship between change in cognition, depression, and psychosis after treatment among older adults with major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized, controlled treatment trial at inpatient and outpatient settings at four academic health centers on "Young Old" (aged 60-71 years, N = 71) and "Older" (aged 72-86 years, N = 71) participants diagnosed with psychotic depression. Olanzapine plus sertraline or olanzapine plus placebo were given until week 12 or termination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, Young Old and Older participants did not differ on measures of depression severity or global cognition, information processing speed, and executive function. Improvement in depressive and psychotic symptoms from baseline to treatment end was similar in both the Young Old and Older groups. However, improvement in depressive symptoms was significantly associated with improvement in global cognitive function in Young Old participants but not in Older participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive dysfunction was not a detriment to improvement in symptoms of psychotic major depression in our geriatric patients. Young Old and Older patients improved to a similar degree on measures of depression and delusions from baseline to treatment end. However, improvement in cognition over the course of treatment was more prominent in the Young Old group than in the Older group.
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, White Plains, NY. Electronic address: liv3002@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Lindsay W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Victoria
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Ellen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Meryl A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Butters
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, White Plains, NY.
authors.forename: Barnett S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, White Plains, NY.
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Benoit H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Mulsant
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School and University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rothschild
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Samprit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Alastair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Flint
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D000067562:Late Onset Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine; D020280:Sertraline
keywords: Cognition; aging; psychotic depression; treatment response