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. 2021 Jul-Sep;15(3):350-356.
doi: 10.1590/1980-57642021dn15-030006.

Depressive symptoms may be associated with semantic memory decline in elderly adults

Mariana Faoro  1 , Amer Cavalheiro Hamdan  1
Affiliations

Depressive symptoms may be associated with semantic memory decline in elderly adults

Mariana Faoro et al. Dement Neuropsychol. 2021 Jul-Sep.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Depressive symptoms are associated with a decline of episodic memory, but the relationship with semantic memory remains unclear.

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship of depressive symptoms with the semantic memory in a community-based sample of elderly adults. The sample comprised two groups, namely, clinical (with depressive symptoms) and control.

Methods: The following instruments were used General Evaluation Questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic, Wechsler Abbreviate Scale of Intelligence, Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS-30), Beck Depression Inventory-II, Boston Nomination Test (BNT), vocabulary, verbal fluency test (fruits and animals), and Brief Cognitive Screening Battery.

Results: The results showed a significant difference between groups only in BNT. A significant correlation was observed between the BNT and GDS-30. Participants with symptoms of severe depression performed poorly on BNT when compared with individuals with mild symptoms.

Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that depressive symptoms in elderly adults can affect semantic memory and may worsen with the severity of symptoms.

Sintomas depressivos estão associados ao declínio da memória episódica, mas sua relação com a memória semântica permanece obscura.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a relação dos sintomas depressivos à memória semântica em idosos que vivem na comunidade. A amostra foi composta de dois grupos: clínico (com sintomas depressivos) e controle.

Método: Foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos: Questionário de Avaliação Geral, Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MoCA-B), Wechsler Abbreviate Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS-30), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Teste de Nomeação de Boston (TNB), Vocabulário, Fluência Verbal (Frutas e Animais) e Bateria Breve de Rastreio Cognitivo.

Resultados: Os resultados evidenciaram diferença significativa entre os grupos apenas no BNT. Foi observada uma correlação significativa entre TNB e GDS-30. Os participantes com sintomas de depressão grave tiveram um desempenho pior no BNT, quando comparados aos indivíduos com sintomas leves.

Conclusão: Esses resultados apoiam a hipótese de que os sintomas depressivos em idosos podem afetar a memória semântica e aumentam com a gravidade dos sintomas.

Keywords: cognition; depression; elderly; memory; neuropsychological tests; semantic memory disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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