Cognitive functioning in a mildly to moderately depressed geriatric sample: relationship to chronological age
Abstract
The neuropsychological performance of three age cohorts of depressed patients (46-59, 60-69, and 70-85) was compared with the performance of age-matched control subjects to determine whether advancing age potentiates the effect of depression on cognition. Depression and increasing age did not interact to produce more pronounced cognitive deterioration in our unmedicated, medically healthy, well-educated outpatients diagnosed with mild to moderate major depression. Test findings suggest that presence of mild to moderate depression may result in premature "aging" of specific cognitive abilities (such as nonverbal memory, word generation, and categorization), but once the seventh decade is reached, cognition in depressed and nondepressed individuals appears to be comparable.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).