Yaşlı Bireylerde Depresyon ve Vasküler Risk Faktörlerinin Ilişkisi

Abstract

In this study we aimed to evaluate whether vascular risk factors, cognitive functions and cerebral vascular burden in late onset depression (depression occuring for the first time in later life) and early onset depression (depression occuring for the first time in later life) in elderly people are different or not. The study was conducted at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Sixteen patients (early onset depression group), with an onset of depression before sixty years old, fourteen patients (late onset depression group), with an onset of depression after sixty years old and older eleven healthy volunteer aged sixty years old and older (control group) were included. These three groups were evaluated with Patient Health Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Cumulative İllness Rating Scale- Geriatrics and laboratory investigations of blood biochemistry and electrocardiogram were used for the measurement of vascular risk factors and disease burden. Cognitive functions were evaluated with Mini Mental State Exam, Trail Making Test Part A and B, Verbal Memory Processes Scale, Verbal Fluency Tests, Digit Span Forward and Backward Test and Clock Drawing Test. Cerebral vascular burden and localization was evaluated with brain magnetic rezonans imaging (MRI). Statistical analysis were done using SPSS for Windows, Version 20.0 Package Program. Shapiro Wilk Test, Kruskal Wallis Test, Conover-Dunn Comparison Test, Pearson Chi-Square Analysis, Fisher Exact Test and Fisher-Freeman-Halton Test were used where necessary. In the left and right parieto-occipital region a difference in White Matter Hyperintensity burden were observed between three gorups. In order to investigate the relationship of depression and vascular risk factors in elderly, longitudinal studies evaluating treatment response and the change in cerebrovascular burden and cognitive functions comprising larger samples with actively depressed elderly should be conducted.