J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1996; 8:404-411
Copyright © 1996 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Subcortical hyperintensities on MRI and activities of daily living in geriatric depression
DA Cahn, PF Malloy, S Salloway, J Rogg, E Gillard, R Kohn, G Tung, ED Richardson and R Westlake
Butler Hospital, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
Data from 30 elderly inpatients with major depression were analyzed to
explore the relationship between subcortical hyperintensities (SH) on MRI
and activities of daily living (ADLs). A comparison of subjects based on a
median split of the severity of SH revealed that subjects with greater SH
performed worse on both instrumental and physical ADLs. A hierarchical
multiple regression revealed that age, depression severity,
neuropsychological test performance, and SH variables accounted for a total
of 53% of the variance in ADL functioning. Severity of SH accounted for an
additional 18% of the variance over and above the other three variables.
Results suggest that severity of subcortical disease measured by MRI
improves prediction of functional impairment in elderly individuals.
