Cortisol Levels May Contribute to Global Cognitive Decline in Older Adults With Depression

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found late-life depression is predictive of cognitive decline in older adults, and cortisol is not only an independent predictor of this decline in seniors with and without Alzheimer's, but also is associated with a risk for cognitive decline in late-life depression, reports Psychiatry Advisor . The researchers evaluated global cognition over 12 months in older adults with and without late-life depression. Nineteen people in the late-life depression cohort exhibited global cognitive decline, while elevated serum cortisol levels at baseline were predictive of cognitive decline in the adjusted model. Older age also was associated with higher risk for cognitive decline, while education level, age at depression onset, and baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores were not significantly associated with global cognition outcome. The team observed that baseline serum cortisol levels were gauged only in the morning and may not have been reflective of cortisol dysregulation in subjects overall. Nevertheless, the data indicates that cortisol levels may contribute to the cognitive decline observed in seniors with late-life depression.