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Kimberly K. Powlishta, PhD; Martha Storandt, PhD; Tammy A. Mandernach, BA; Ellen Hogan, MA; Elizabeth A. Grant, PhD; John C. Morris, MD

Arch Neurol. 2004;61:1265-1268.

Background  Depression can interfere with the normal expression of cognitive abilities in adults of all ages, but it is unclear if depression in demented people, which is common, is associated with reduced cognitive performance beyond the effect of the dementia itself.

Objective  To determine if depression adds to the cognitive deficit in dementia.

Design  Performance on psychometric tests of memory and other cognitive function was correlated with the number of depressive features reported by the individual and by a knowledgeable collateral source, as well as the judgment of a research clinician as to whether the person was depressed.

Setting  An Alzheimer disease research center.

Participants  The convenience sample included individuals with very mild (Clinical Dementia Rating, 0.5; n = 167 [mean age, 76.03 years]) or mild (Clinical Dementia Rating, 1; n = 155 [mean age, 78.41 years]) Alzheimer disease who were enrolled in ongoing longitudinal studies at the center.

Main Outcome Measures  Psychometric measures of memory and cognition.

Results  Depression was present in 15% of the very mild and 24% of the mild dementia groups. There was no relation between the clinicians’ diagnoses of depression and psychometric scores. Little relation was found between performance on the cognitive tests and the number of depressive features (maximum, 9) reported by the individual or collateral source. The few statistically significant (P<.05) correlations were modest (0.21).

Conclusion  Depression does not worsen cognitive test performance beyond the effect of dementia.

Author Affiliations: Department of Psychology, St Louis University (Dr Powlishta and Ms Mandernach), and the Departments of Psychology (Dr Storandt and Ms Hogan) and Neurology (Drs Storandt and Morris) and Division of Biostatistics (Dr Grant), Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Mo.

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