MRI and neuropsychological differences in early- and late-life-onset geriatric depression

• DOI: 10.1212/wnl.46.6.1567
• Publication Date: 2012-05-13T13:20:29Z
• Authors: S. Salloway; P. Malloy; R. Kohn; E. Gillard; J. Duffy; J. Rogg; G. Tung; E. Richardson; C. Thomas; R. Westlake
• Keywords: Depression; Late life depression

We sought to determine whether geriatric patients with late-life-onset major depression have more subcortical hyperintensities on MRI and greater cognitive impairment than age-matched early-life-onset depression, suggesting that disease may be etiologic in late-life depression. Most negative studies of the clinical significance sampled from a restricted range subjects, employed limited batteries neuropsychological tests, or not quantified changes; present study attempted address these limitations. Thirty subjects psychiatry inpatient service who were over 60 years age presented divided into groups onset first after (mean = 72.4 years, 15 women, 0 men), before 35.8 12 3 men). Quantitative analysis yielded volume of: periventricular (PVH) deep white-matter (DWMH). Subjects administered battery measures by raters blind onset. The late-onset group had significantly PVH DWMH. They also impaired executive verbal nonverbal memory tasks. Discriminant function using severity signal MRI, index, scores correctly predicted late versus early 87% early-onset 80% group. These findings suggest associated an increased vascular performance. <b>NEUROLOGY 1996;46: </b> 1567-1574