Project Summary

Howard Aizenstein, M.D., Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2004) of University of Pittsburgh, using fMRI plans to assess the physiological basis of the cognitive impairment often seen in the elderly who are depressed. Depression is common in the elderly and a major, often overlooked, cause of the disability associated with geriatric depression is cognitive impairment. Although depressive symptoms, such as low-mood, poor self-esteem, and guilt, generally resolve with depression treatment, cognitive impairment often persists. Two different mechanisms for the cognitive impairment of geriatric depression may be at play: Impairment could be neurodegenerative, as in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and may represent early AD; or impairment could arise from cerebrovascular changes--perhaps not overt strokes--but attributable to vascular changes. In the proposed project, 30 elderly individuals who are in remission from depression and have persistent cognitive impairment will be recruited and asked to undergo fMRI to measure if they have any regional brain activation associated with either AD or vascular disease. Identifying the basis of the cognitive impairment can guide treatment, especially as new therapies become available for Alzheimer's and vascular diseases.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar Depression

Search Again