Depressive symptoms predict slow cognitive decline in mild dementia

Depression may be a prognostic marker of subsequent cognitive decline in patients with dementia. Earlier investigations did not find support for this hypothesis but have mainly considered syndromal depression. In this prospective study thirty-two subjects with mild dementia were followed up for 12 months. The effects of GMS-AGECAT syndromal depression, subsyndromal depression and dimensions of depressive symptoms on cognitive functioning after 12 months were studied. A baseline diagnosis of syndromal or subsyndromal depression did not affect cognitive functioning at follow up, but the numbers of mood symptoms predicted slower cognitive decline. Possibly, the report of depressive symptoms by subjects with mild dementia reflects relative intactness of cognitive functions, not accounted for by cognitive screening instruments