TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in older, non-demented African Americans
AU - Hamilton, Jamie L.
AU - Brickman, Adam M.
AU - Lang, Rosalyn
AU - Byrd, Goldie S.
AU - Haines, Jonathan L.
AU - Pericak-Vance, Margaret A.
AU - Manly, Jennifer J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2014 INS. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Knowledge of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in older adults has primarily come from studies of clinically depressed, functionally impaired or cognitively impaired individuals, and in predominately White samples. Limited minority representation in depression research exposes the need to examine these associations in more ethnic/racially diverse populations. We sought to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in a sample of non-demented older African Americans recruited from surrounding U.S. cities of New York, Greensboro, Miami, and Nashville (N=944). Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Cognition was evaluated with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Test scores were summarized into attention, executive function, memory, language, and processing speed composites. Controlling for age, education, reading level, and sex, African American older adults who endorsed more symptoms obtained significantly lower scores on measures of memory, language, processing speed, and executive functioning. Further investigation of the causal pathway underlying this association, as well as potential mediators of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive test performance among older African Americans, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, may offer potential avenues for intervention.
AB - Knowledge of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in older adults has primarily come from studies of clinically depressed, functionally impaired or cognitively impaired individuals, and in predominately White samples. Limited minority representation in depression research exposes the need to examine these associations in more ethnic/racially diverse populations. We sought to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in a sample of non-demented older African Americans recruited from surrounding U.S. cities of New York, Greensboro, Miami, and Nashville (N=944). Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Cognition was evaluated with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Test scores were summarized into attention, executive function, memory, language, and processing speed composites. Controlling for age, education, reading level, and sex, African American older adults who endorsed more symptoms obtained significantly lower scores on measures of memory, language, processing speed, and executive functioning. Further investigation of the causal pathway underlying this association, as well as potential mediators of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive test performance among older African Americans, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, may offer potential avenues for intervention.
KW - Aging
KW - Depression
KW - Ethnic groups
KW - Executive function
KW - Language
KW - Memory
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U2 - 10.1017/S1355617714000423
DO - 10.1017/S1355617714000423
M3 - Article
C2 - 24840093
AN - SCOPUS:84913616118
VL - 20
SP - 756
EP - 763
JO - Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
JF - Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
SN - 1355-6177
IS - 7
ER -