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Depression is linked to dementia in older adults
Vyara Valkanova, Klaus P Ebmeier, Charlotte L Allan. The Practitioner, 2017-01
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Depression and dementia are both common conditions in older people, and they frequently occur together. Late life depression affects about 3.0-4.5% of adults aged 65 and older. Depression occurs in up to 20% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and up to 45% of patients with vascular dementia. Rather than a risk factor, depression with onset in later life is more likely to be either prodromal to dementia or a condition that unmasks pre-existing cognitive impairment by compromising cognitive reserve. Depression can be a psychological response to receiving a diagnosis of dementia. The distinction between depression and early dementia may be particularly difficult. Detailed histories obtained from patients and their relatives as well as longitudinal follow-up are important. Cognitive testing can be very helpful. It is preferable to use a neuropsychological test that is sensitive to subtle cognitive changes and assesses all cognitive domains, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Older people with depression are at raised risk of dementia and this risk is increased if they have had symptoms for a long time, if their symptoms are severe, where there are multiple (vascular) comorbidities, and where there are structural brain changes including hippocampal atrophy and white matter abnormalities.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Valkanova, V., Ebmeier, K. P., & Allan, C. L. (2017). Depression is linked to dementia in older adults. The Practitioner.
Vancouver
Valkanova V, Ebmeier KP, Allan CL. Depression is linked to dementia in older adults. The Practitioner. 2017. PMID: 29023080.
BibTeX
@article{valkanova2017-29023080,
author = {Valkanova, Vyara and Ebmeier, Klaus P and Allan, Charlotte L},
title = {{Depression is linked to dementia in older adults}},
journal = {The Practitioner},
year = {2017},
pmid = {29023080}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Depression can be a psychological response to receiving a diagnosis of dementia.
- The distinction between depression and early dementia may be particularly difficult.
- Detailed histories obtained from patients and their relatives as well as longitudinal follow-up are important.
- It is preferable to use a neuropsychological test that is sensitive to subtle cognitive changes and assesses all cognitive domains, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
- Older people with depression are at raised risk of dementia and this risk is increased if they have had symptoms for a long time, if their symptoms are severe, where there are multiple (vascular) comorbidities, and where there are structural brain changes including hippocampal atrophy and white matter abnormalities.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Effect size4.5%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 33 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Practitioner) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29023080) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 33 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 33 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
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