Subtypes of cognitive impairment in depressed older adults

The authors examined the cognitive profiles of 104 older adults with major depression and empirically identified three subgroups with distinct pattern s of cognitive impairment. The entire sample demonstrated memory impairment relative to age-standardized scores, distributed equally across the three cognitive subgroups. One-third of subjects displayed either executive impai rment or attentional deficits. The subgroup with executive dysfunction had greater behavioral disability Identification of executive impairment in dep ressed older adults may facilitate intervention for disturbances in plannin g, sequencing, organizing, and abstracting Demonstrating the presence of su btypes of cognitive impairments in older adults may provide the basis for f urther investigation of mechanisms of late-life depression and the pathophy siology of anti-depressant response. The association of behavioral disabili ty with executive dysfunction can initiate an inquiry into the biology of f unctional impairment ultimately linking biological research to studies of t reatment effectiveness.