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Depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in non-demented older adults
Zahodne LB, Stern Y, Manly JJ.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2014-01-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To determine whether depressive symptoms typically precede or follow memory declines. Design An autoregressive latent trajectory model was used to examine the direction of the relationship between depressive symptoms and memory decline observed over 12 years. Setting Washington/Hamilton Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project, a community-based longitudinal study of aging and dementia in northern Manhattan. Participants Older adults initially without dementia(n = 2,425). Measurements Memory composite scores were computed from three subscores of the Selective Reminding Test. Depressive symptoms were assessed using a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Analyses controlled for age, sex, recruitment wave,education, black race, and Hispanic ethnicity measured at baseline and chronic disease burden measured at each study visit. Results Initial depressive symptoms predicted worse memory scores at the second study visit (B weight = − 0.03; P = .003) and accelerated memory decline over the entire study period (B weight = − 0.02; P = .03). Memory scores did not predict subsequent depressive symptoms. Conclusion These findings suggest that depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in late life. This pattern of results is consistent with hypotheses that depression is a prodrome of dementia or a causal contributor to memory decline. Clinicians should be aware that depressive symptoms may represent an early indicator not only of dementia, as reported previously, but also of memory decline more generally.
Key findings
- Results Initial depressive symptoms predicted worse memory scores at the second study visit (B weight = − 0.03; P = .003) and accelerated memory decline over the entire study period (B weight = − 0.02; P = .03).
- Conclusion These findings suggest that depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in late life.
- This pattern of results is consistent with hypotheses that depression is a prodrome of dementia or a causal contributor to memory decline.
Why it matters
In this longitudinal study of older adults without dementia, initial depressive symptoms predicted worse memory and faster memory decline, but memory did not predict later depressive symptoms. The authors say this is consistent with depression being an early sign of dementia or a contributor to memory decline, but it does not test a treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants2,425
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| 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 | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,425 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 | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 103 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.4 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 17 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Jennifer J. Manly: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Columbia University: institution h-index 1,824 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25093232) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
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Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zahodne, L. B., Stern, Y., & Manly, J. J. (2014). Depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in non-demented older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12600
Vancouver
Zahodne LB, Stern Y, Manly JJ. Depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in non-demented older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2014. doi:10.1111/jgs.12600. PMID: 25093232.
BibTeX
@article{zahodne2014-25093232,
author = {Zahodne, L. B. and Stern, Y. and Manly, J. J.},
title = {{Depressive symptoms precede memory decline, but not vice versa, in non-demented older adults}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1111/jgs.12600},
pmid = {25093232},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12600}
}
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