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Changes in cognitive functioning following treatment of late-life depression
Butters MA, Becker JT, Nebes RD, Zmuda MD, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Reynolds CF.. The American journal of psychiatry, 2000-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Knowledge of the relationship between various clinical characteristics and cognitive functioning is advancing, but little is known about the cognitive response to treatment for geriatric depression. The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive response to treatment for patients with late-life depression. Method Subjects included 45 nondemented, elderly depressed patients who achieved remission after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment and 20 elderly comparison subjects.
Key findings
- The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive response to treatment for patients with late-life depression.
- Method Subjects included 45 nondemented, elderly depressed patients who achieved remission after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment and 20 elderly comparison subjects.
- All subjects were administered a battery of clinical measures, including cognitive screening instruments, before and after treatment.
- Results As a group, the elderly depressed patients showed a small improvement in overall cognitive functioning after treatment.
Why it matters
In this small study, elderly depressed patients who were not demented showed a small improvement in cognitive test scores after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. It concerns depression rather than Alzheimer's disease and does not show any effect on treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's.
Study details
- Participants45
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on institution's track record, so that was left out: it earned 62 of the 97 points we could judge it on, which is 64 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | American Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 549 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2000 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 45 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 365 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.0 citations a year over 28 year(s) since 2000 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 20 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Charles F. Reynolds: h-index 139 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11097959) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 62 / 97 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 62 of the 97 points we could judge it on is 64 out of 100. |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Butters, M. A., Becker, J. T., Nebes, R. D., Zmuda, M. D., Mulsant, B. H., Pollock, B. G., et al. (2000). Changes in cognitive functioning following treatment of late-life depression. The American journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.12.1949
Vancouver
Butters MA, Becker JT, Nebes RD, Zmuda MD, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, et al. Changes in cognitive functioning following treatment of late-life depression. The American journal of psychiatry. 2000. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.157.12.1949. PMID: 11097959.
BibTeX
@article{butters2000-11097959,
author = {Butters, M. A. and Becker, J. T. and Nebes, R. D. and Zmuda, M. D. and Mulsant, B. H. and Pollock, B. G. and Reynolds, C. F.},
title = {{Changes in cognitive functioning following treatment of late-life depression}},
journal = {The American journal of psychiatry},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1176/appi.ajp.157.12.1949},
pmid = {11097959},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.12.1949}
}
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