Depression, Apolipoprotein E Genotype, and the Incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment

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Abstract
The cognitive spectrum, ranging from normal aging to dementia, has increasingly become the focus of contemporary research on aging and dementia. Various terms are used to describe this entity, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI).1-4 Although much progress has been made in characterizing the cognitive aspects of MCI, there has been less work focusing on the neuropsychiatric aspects.5-7 In a recent cohort study,8,9 depression (as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]) doubled the risk of progressing from MCI to dementia.8,9 However, it remains unknown whether depression is also a risk factor for MCI. Similarly, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease10,11; however, its role in MCI remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that elderly individuals with depression as measured by the short GDS are at increased risk of developing incident MCI.12,13