The following is a summary of “Long-Term Depressive Symptom Trajectories and Midlife Cognition: The CARDIA Study,” published in the June 2024 issue of Neurology by Grasset, et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine how depressive symptoms evolve over 20 years from young adulthood and how this relates to middle-aged Black and White adult’s cognitive function.
They utilized data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed across 5 study visits (1990 to 2010) using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Using latent class group-based modeling, four depressive symptom trajectories were identified: “persistently low,” “persistently medium,” “medium decreasing,” and “high increasing.” In 2015, cognitive function was assessed with standardized tests (DSST, Stroop, RAVLT) among 3,117 participants with complete data. Linear regression examined the relationship between depressive trajectories and cognitive function.
The results showed that the mean (SD) baseline age was 30.1 (3.6) years, with 57% being female. Significant racial differences (P<0.05) were observed in the associations between depressive symptoms and cognition. Among Black individuals, “medium decreasing,” “persistently medium,” or “high increasing” depressive symptoms were linked to poorer verbal memory, processing speed, and executive function scores compared to “persistently low” symptoms (RAVLT persistently medium vs low: β = −0.30, 95% CI −0.48 to −0.12; high increasing vs low: β = −0.49, 95% CI −0.70 to −0.27; DSST persistently medium vs low: β = −0.28, 95% CI −0.47 to −0.09; high increasing vs low: β = −0.64, 95% CI −0.87 to −0.42; Stroop persistently medium vs low: β = −0.46, 95% CI −0.70 to −0.23; high increasing vs low: β = −0.76, 95% CI −1.04 to −0.47). Associations were slightly weaker among White individuals, though “high increasing” depressive symptoms were still associated with poorer verbal memory and processing speed scores (high increasing vs low: β = −0.38, 95% CI −0.61 to −0.15; and β = −0.40, 95% CI −0.63 to −0.18, respectively).
Investigators found that young adults with persistent depressive symptoms had poorer cognitive function in midlife, with Black adults having an even stronger connection.
Source: neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209510
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