Preprint

Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults: a longitudinal study using the dual change score model

Depression as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults.

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [What does this mean?].

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Teles, Mariana

Other kind(s) of contributor

Shi, Dingjing

Abstract / Description

Background: the direction of the longitudinal association between depression and memory remains a topic of intense debate. A unidirectional association where depression impacts the change in memory (or vice-versa) and a bidirectional association where the trajectories of both dimensions affect each other lead to different clinical implications. Method: This study aimed to investigate the directionality of the depression-memory association in a sample of 2,057 older adults aged between 60 to 99 years old from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project (VCAP). We used the bivariate dual change score model to investigate the directionality of the association between episodic memory and three dimensions of depression (somatic, depressed affect, and positive affect) throughout ten years (five measurement points), controlling for age, education, and gender. Results: slight decline is observed for memory and stability for depression over the ages of 60 – 99. All depression scales at a given time-point predicted the subsequent change in memory with a negative association, meaning that higher depression is linked with a steeper decline in memory by the next time-point (γDep = 1.768; SE = 0.566; p < 0.05). The opposite model in which memory predicted depression and the bidirectional model were both much weaker than the depression predicting memory model. Conclusions: Our findings support a unidirectional association with depression preceding an accelerated decline in memory in older adults. We discuss the clinical implications for depression as a risk factor for a subsequent memory decline.

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2021-04-27

Publisher

PsychArchives

Is version of

Citation

Teles, M. (2021). Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults: a longitudinal study using the dual change score model. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4787
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Teles, Mariana
  • Other kind(s) of contributor
    Shi, Dingjing
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2021-04-27T12:54:38Z
  • Made available on
    2021-04-27T12:54:38Z
  • Date of first publication
    2021-04-27
  • Abstract / Description
    Background: the direction of the longitudinal association between depression and memory remains a topic of intense debate. A unidirectional association where depression impacts the change in memory (or vice-versa) and a bidirectional association where the trajectories of both dimensions affect each other lead to different clinical implications. Method: This study aimed to investigate the directionality of the depression-memory association in a sample of 2,057 older adults aged between 60 to 99 years old from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project (VCAP). We used the bivariate dual change score model to investigate the directionality of the association between episodic memory and three dimensions of depression (somatic, depressed affect, and positive affect) throughout ten years (five measurement points), controlling for age, education, and gender. Results: slight decline is observed for memory and stability for depression over the ages of 60 – 99. All depression scales at a given time-point predicted the subsequent change in memory with a negative association, meaning that higher depression is linked with a steeper decline in memory by the next time-point (γDep = 1.768; SE = 0.566; p < 0.05). The opposite model in which memory predicted depression and the bidirectional model were both much weaker than the depression predicting memory model. Conclusions: Our findings support a unidirectional association with depression preceding an accelerated decline in memory in older adults. We discuss the clinical implications for depression as a risk factor for a subsequent memory decline.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    other
    en
  • Publication status
    other
    en
  • Review status
    notReviewed
    en
  • Review status
    unknown
    en
  • Citation
    Teles, M. (2021). Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults: a longitudinal study using the dual change score model. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4787
    en
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4226
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4787
  • Language of content
    eng
    en_US
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
    en_US
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104501
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults: a longitudinal study using the dual change score model
    en_US
  • Alternative title
    Depression as a risk factor for memory decline in older adults.
    en_US
  • DRO type
    preprint
    en_US