Longitudinal Study of Depression on Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Financial Capacity

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) among other cognitive deficits also includes impairments in financial capacity, but so far the role of depression in time has not been examined. We aimed to examine the hypothesis that individuals with aMCI and comorbid worsening depression levels would demonstrate greater deficits in financial capacity atone year in relation to multiple-domain aMCI patients with stable levels of depression, aMCI patients without depression and healthy individuals

Methods

Ninety-six Greek women and 24 men aged 54 and older (multiple-domain aMCI with, stable and increased levels of depression at one year, aMCI without depressive symptoms, and cognitively intact elders with and without depression) were examined with the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the Legal Capacity for Property Law Transactions Assessment Scale (LCPLTAS).

Results

Bootstrapped ANCOVA was implemented. Multiple-domain aMCI patients’ performance regarding financial capacity is severely impaired when depression co-exists, resembling the performance of patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, and it declines further when depression deteriorates.

Conclusions

Findings contribute to the limited evidence in financial capacity assessment when depression co-exists showing that higher depressive symptom scores are associated with reduced financial capacity scores and deterioration of depressive symptomatology worsens not only general cognitive outcome, but financial capacity in particular.

Clinical Implications

Proactive care for individuals with depression is needed as this condition severely influences financial capacity in aMCI.

KEYWORDS:

• Longitudinal research
• financial capacity
• amnestic mild cognitive impairment
• depressive symptoms

Clinical implications

• Baseline depression is a significant risk factor for financial incapacity in aMCI.

• Measuring depression changes over time reveals direct influences on financial capacity as deteriorating levels of depression are linked to further cognitive decline related to financial capacity skills.

• The current results suggest that clinicians should examine over time the levels of depressive symptoms along with the financial capacity assessment in aMCI and relevant interventions for depression should be considered.

Description of Author Roles

VG designed the study, collected and analyzed data, wrote the paper and was responsible for the design of the study. DS assisted with data analysis. MT supervised the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.