Late-Onset Depression and Risk of MCI in Cognitively Normal Older Adults 

 
   Lead Investigator:    Kara Dassel
   Institution      :    Arizona ADRC
   E-Mail           :    Kara.Bottiggi@chw.edu
   Proposal ID      :    51



   Proposal Description:
   Specific Aim 1: To determine whether late-life depression in cognitively unimpaired older adults increases future risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).    Preliminary Analysis Plan:  In order to answer the study question of whether late-onset depression increases risk of  future conversion to MCI, relative risk ratios will be used to compare baseline depression status  with follow-up cognitive status (i.e., normal versus MCI) in all UDS participants who meet the  study inclusion criteria. Depression will be dichotomized as ???depressed??? or ???non-depressed??? for  each of the depression variables listed under the NACC data elements section of the proposal.  Converters will be dichotomized based on the clinical diagnosis at subsequent follow-up visits  that is, if a person receives a diagnosis of MCI at any of his/her follow-up visits, they will be  categorized as ???converters.??? Those participants whose clinical diagnosis remains normal at all  subsequent follow-up visits will be categorized as ???non-converters.??? Five relative risk ratios will  be conducted using each of the depression outcome variables (in bold print under data elements  section). The requested cognitive information is for descriptive purposes that will allow us to  better characterize the cognitive status of participants (i.e., converters versus non-converters).