Depressive Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment and the Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Comparative Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Community-Based Studies
Affiliations: [a] Alzheimer Centre Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| [b] Geestelijk Gezondheidszorg Eindhoven en de Kempen (GGzE), The Netherlands
| [c] De Zorggroep, Expertise en Behandelcentrum, The Netherlands
| [d]
Psychiatric and Mental Health Department. Universitary Hospital Río Hortega, Spain
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Eva Tan, MD, Maastricht University, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer
Center Limburg, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 43 3874175;
E-mail: eva.tan@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Abstract: Background:Affective symptoms are considered a risk factor or prodromal symptom for dementia. Recent reviews indicate that depressive symptoms predict progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, but results need to be further explored. Objective:To investigate the effect of depressive symptoms on the development of dementia in people with MCI, and explore potential sources of between-study variability, including study setting by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods:Databases were searched for prospective studies defining people with MCI at baseline, investigating dementia at follow-up and giving information about depressive symptoms. Two authors independently extracted data from the studies and rated the methodological quality. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effect models to yield pooled risk ratios (RR). Meta-regression analyses tested differences between clinical and community-based studies and other sources of heterogeneity. Results:Thirty-five studies, representing 14,158 individuals with MCI, were included in the meta-analysis. Depressive symptoms in MCI predicted dementia in 15 community-based studies (RR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.49–1.93, I2 = 0.0%), but not in 20 clinical studies (RR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.92–1.14, I2 = 73.0%). Further investigation of this effect showed that the mean age of community-based studies was significantly higher than of clinical studies but neither this nor other study characteristics explained variability in study outcomes. Conclusions:Depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of conversion from MCI to dementia in community-based studies. In contrast, evidence in clinical populations was insufficient with high heterogeneity.
