Depressive symptoms worsen cognition, gait, comorbidities in older adults

Among older adults, depressive symptoms aggravate the worsening of cognition, gait speed, and other comorbidities on disability, a recent study has found.

“Treating subclinical depression, which may be under-recognized in older adults, should be a public health priority to help preserve independence with aging,” the researchers said.

Researchers conducted a prospective analysis of 223 adults (aged 50–85 years, 48.9 percent). Self-reported disability, using the WHO’s Disability Assessment Schedule, was assessed, while depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale. The Mini-Mental Status Examination and Charlson Comorbidity Index were also used to evaluate study participants.

Overall, 192 participants had no to mild disability, while 31 had moderate to severe disability. At baseline, depressive symptoms, while within normal limits, were correlated with disability (p<0.001). Depressive symptoms were also longitudinally associated with disability (p<0.001).

Similarly, cognition, walking speed, and the presence of comorbid conditions were significantly linked to disability at baseline.

Longitudinally, depressive symptoms exerted a strong mediating effect on disability scores, such that the indirect impact of depression on disability could explain around 50 percent of the effect of cognition on disability. Additionally, depression as a mediator accounted for 34 percent and 24 percent of the impact of mobility and comorbidities on disability, respectively.

“It must be noted that while our results suggest a strong mediating effect of depression, we are unable to draw firm causal conclusions based on the observational nature of the data,” the researchers said.