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. 2019 Aug 21;74(6):943-953.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbx183.

Memory Deficits Precede Increases in Depressive Symptoms in Later Adulthood

Stephen Aichele  1 , Paolo Ghisletta  1   2   3
Affiliations

Memory Deficits Precede Increases in Depressive Symptoms in Later Adulthood

Stephen Aichele et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. .

Abstract

Objectives: We examined bidirectional, time-ordered associations between age-related changes in depressive symptoms and memory.

Method: Data came from 107,599 community-dwelling adults, aged 49-90 years, who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Depressive symptoms were measured with the EURO-D inventory, and memory was evaluated as delayed recall of a 10-word list. Participants were assessed up to five times at 2-year intervals. Dynamic structural equation models were used to estimate longitudinal and time-ordered (lead-lag) relations between depressive symptoms and memory performance.

Results: Depressive symptoms increased and memory scores decreased across the observed age range, with worsening mostly evident after age 62 years. These long-term changes were moderately negatively correlated (r = -.53, p < .001). A time-ordered effect emerged such that age-specific memory deficits preceded shorter-term increases in depression symptoms. This effect can be translated such that each 1-point decrement on a 10-point memory scale at a given age predicted a 14.5% increased risk for depression two years later. Statistical adjustment for covariates (sex, education, re-test, smoking, and body mass index) had little influence on these associations.

Conclusion: In later adulthood, lower memory performance at a given age predicts subsequent 2-year increases in depressive symptoms.

Keywords: Bi-directional; Depression; Longitudinal change; Memory.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Bivariate latent change score model. Memory (m) and depressive symptoms (d) are modeled across 2-year age intervals (i.e., the first age interval, 49–50 years, is noted by subscript 50; the last age interval, 89–90 years, is noted by subscript 90). Change scores are noted by delta (triangle symbol). Unlabeled paths with single-headed arrows show regression effects fixed at 1. Unlabeled paths with doubleheaded arrows show freely estimated variances and covariances. Labels on paths show model parameter constraints. Paths from levels and slopes onto covariates and a constant term are not shown.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Panel (a) shows trajectories of estimated memory scores within sub-samples of participants with different baseline levels of depressive symptoms: low (≤ -1.5SD; DepL), mid (> -1.5SD and < 1.5SD; unlabeled), and high (≥ 1.5SD; DepH). Panel (b) shows trajectories of estimated depressive symptoms within sub-samples of participants with different baseline levels of memory scores: low (≤ -1.5SD; MemL), mid (> -1.5SD and < 1.5SD; unlabeled), and high (≥ 1.5SD; MemH). Solid lines indicate trajectories estimated from the full coupling model (M1d), and dotted lines are trajectories estimated from the nocoupling model (M1a).
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