Psychiatry Investig.
2017 May;14(3):271-280. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.271.
Incidence and Course of Depression in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Konkuk University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. hanyjung@schmc.ac.kr
- 3Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
- 4Department of Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea.
- 5Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Inje University, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Republic of Korea.
- 7Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 8Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 9Department of Neuropsychiatry, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
- 10Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- KMID: 2378642
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.271
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Depressive symptoms are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and they might influence the course and prognosis of AD. Depression could appear anytime in the course of the disease, and could either last considerably long or disappear easily. This study is intended to investigate the occurrence of depression in the course of AD and the risk factors of incidence.
METHODS
This study targeted 1,272 AD patients without depressive symptoms at the start of this study in Korea. A total of 775 subjects completed the study, and the occurrence of depression was assessed after 12 months. Demographic information of subjects was collected and cognitive functions, overall functions, and depression severity were assessed at the start of this study and after 12 months.
RESULTS
Among the 775 subjects, 103 subjects (13.29%) developed depression 12 months later. The MMSE-KC scores showed significant changes in both groups that developed depression and did not. In the univariate analysis, significant differences in the incidence of depression were found in terms of gender, the administration of the antidepressant at the baseline, the SGDS-K score, and the GDS score. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the increase in the incidence of depression was associated with a female, in the increase in SGDS-K score and the GDS score.
CONCLUSION
The incidence of depression in the subjects who completed the 12-month follow-up observation was 13.29%. Moreover, in the multivariate analysis, a female gender and the severity of dementia, including the overall functions, seemed associated with the occurrence of depression.
