Disentangling the relationship of subjective cognitive decline and depressive symptoms in the development of cognitive decline and dementia

  • Luca Kleineidam
  • Michael Wagner
  • Jannis Guski
  • Steffen Wolfsgruber
  • Lisa Miebach
  • Horst Bickel
  • Hans-Helmut König
  • Siegfried Weyerer
  • Dagmar Lühmann
  • Hanna Kaduszkiewicz
  • Melanie Luppa
  • Susanne Röhr
  • Michael Pentzek
  • Birgitt Wiese
  • Wolfgang Maier
  • Martin Scherer
  • Johannes Kornhuber
  • Oliver Peters
  • Lutz Frölich
  • Jens Wiltfang
  • Piotr Lewczuk
  • Michael Hüll
  • Alfredo Ramirez
  • Frank Jessen
  • Steffi G Riedel-Heller (Shared last author)
  • Kathrin Heser (Shared last author)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and depressive symptoms (DS) frequently co-occur prior to dementia. However, the temporal sequence of their emergence and their combined prognostic value for cognitive decline and dementia is unclear.

METHODS: Temporal relationships of SCD, DS and memory decline were examined by latent difference score modeling in a high-aged, population-based cohort (N = 3217) and validated using Cox-regression of dementia-conversion. In 334 cognitively unimpaired SCD-patients from memory-clinics, we examined the association of DS with cognitive decline and with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers.

RESULTS: In the population-based cohort, SCD preceded DS. High DS were associated with increased risk of dementia conversion in individuals with SCD. In SCD-patients from memory-clinics, high DS were associated with greater cognitive decline. CSF Aß42 predicted increasing DS.

DISCUSSION: SCD typically precedes DS in the evolution to dementia. SCD-patients from memory-clinics with DS may constitute a high-risk group for cognitive decline.

HIGHLIGHTS: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) precedes depressive symptoms (DS) as memory declines. Emerging or persistent DS after SCD reports predict dementia. In SCD patients, more amyloid pathology relates to increasing DS. SCD patients with DS are at high risk for symptomatic progression.

Bibliographical data

Original languageEnglish
ISSN1552-5260
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 05.2023

Comment Deanary

© 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.

PubMed 36218120