Depressive symptoms and cognitive function in older adults: A cross-lagged network analysis
Publication Details
Sun, H.,
Chen, P.,
Bai, W.,
Zhang, Q.,
Sha, S.,
Su, Z.,
Cheung, T.,
Ungvari, G. S.,
Jackson, T.,
Feng, Y.,
&
Xiang, Y.
(2024).
Depressive symptoms and cognitive function in older adults: A cross-lagged network analysis.
Depression and Anxiety,.
Abstract
Background: Depressive symptoms commonly co-occur with cognitive decline in older adults. However, prospective interrelation-ships between different cognitive function domains and depressive symptoms are not well understood. This study evaluated prospective interrelationships between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning components among individuals aged50 years or older from a perspective of network analysis.
Method: Longitudinal data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were measured with the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short–Depression Scale. Cognitive functions assessed included memory, orientation, and executive function. Contemporaneous network analyses were conducted using mixed graphical model, while atemporal network model was assessed using cross-lagged panel network model. To identify important predictors and outcomes, centrality indices, including expected influence, out-expected influence, and in-expected influence, were calculated.
Results: A total of 6,433 older adults were included in the network analysis. Baseline “Not enjoy life” (CESD-6) was negativelyassociated with executive function at the follow-up assessment. Moreover, improvements in “Everything was an effort” (CESD-2)and “Loneliness” (CESD-5) were related to less future decline of executive function and memory ability. Furthermore, analyses suggested targeting “Lack of happiness” (CESD-4) could be useful in reducing the co-occurrence of depression and cognitive decline among older adults..
Conclusions: This network analysis study highlighted dynamic interrelationships between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in older adults. Findings suggest that interventions targeting specific depressive symptoms may have the potential toalleviate declines in executive function and memory for this population.
Keywords
cognitive decline, cross-lagged network analysis, depression, executive function
Link to Publisher Version (URL)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/6166775
