Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic

dc.contributor.advisorThomas, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKinnear, Hen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-30T13:53:18Z
dc.date.available2014-10-30T13:53:18Z
dc.date.issued2009en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 59-67).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractBackground and Objective: Depression in the elderly has been linked with stroke, and with white matter lesions, particularly in frontal-subcortical regions responsible for mood regulation. Such evidence of vascular disease has in turn been associated with vascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol and heart disease. The vascular depression hypothesis (Alexopoulos et al., 1997) proposes that individuals with late-onset depression and vascular risk factors have more apathy, fewer ideational symptoms, and more functional and cognitive impairment. Recent studies offer only limited support for this proposal, perhaps due to lack of comparability of studies, lack of control for factors such as age, medical co-morbidity and functional impairment, and exclusion of patients with cognitive impairment. The current study aimed to test the vascular depression hypothesis in a non-Western sample by examining (a) whether a specific depression symptom profile exists in patients with vascular risk factors, and (b) the relationship between vascular risk, depression and cognitive and functional ability. Method: Retrospective data were gathered from 184 individuals (age>= 55, MMSE >= 17) who had been evaluated at the Groote Schuur Hospital Memory Clinic. Correlational and multiple regression analyses tested relationships between a cumulative vascular risk index, scores on the Cornell Scale for Depression and the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale, physical evidence of heart disease and 4 executive function tests (Trail Making Test, category fluency, CLOX I, and an initiation/perseveration index). Results: Vascular risk and depression were significantly related, even after controlling for age and functional impairment. However, using a vascular risk model of vascular depression, the data provided no further support for the vascular depression hypothesis either in terms of (a) a specific depression profile, or (b) the impact of vascular risk and depression on cognitive and functional impairment. There were, however, significant relationships between heart disease and executive function measures, and between all cognitive measures and ADL functioning. Conclusion: The current findings imply there may be a threshold of severity of vascular burden before clinically significant symptoms become apparent. However, the findings may also be explained by a common underlying mechanism (either biological or psychosocial) linking vascular disease and depression. Prospective longitudinal studies are required to clarify causal mechanisms.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationKinnear, H. (2009). <i>Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8972en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationKinnear, H. <i>"Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8972en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKinnear, H. 2009. Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Kinnear, H AB - Background and Objective: Depression in the elderly has been linked with stroke, and with white matter lesions, particularly in frontal-subcortical regions responsible for mood regulation. Such evidence of vascular disease has in turn been associated with vascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol and heart disease. The vascular depression hypothesis (Alexopoulos et al., 1997) proposes that individuals with late-onset depression and vascular risk factors have more apathy, fewer ideational symptoms, and more functional and cognitive impairment. Recent studies offer only limited support for this proposal, perhaps due to lack of comparability of studies, lack of control for factors such as age, medical co-morbidity and functional impairment, and exclusion of patients with cognitive impairment. The current study aimed to test the vascular depression hypothesis in a non-Western sample by examining (a) whether a specific depression symptom profile exists in patients with vascular risk factors, and (b) the relationship between vascular risk, depression and cognitive and functional ability. Method: Retrospective data were gathered from 184 individuals (age>= 55, MMSE >= 17) who had been evaluated at the Groote Schuur Hospital Memory Clinic. Correlational and multiple regression analyses tested relationships between a cumulative vascular risk index, scores on the Cornell Scale for Depression and the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale, physical evidence of heart disease and 4 executive function tests (Trail Making Test, category fluency, CLOX I, and an initiation/perseveration index). Results: Vascular risk and depression were significantly related, even after controlling for age and functional impairment. However, using a vascular risk model of vascular depression, the data provided no further support for the vascular depression hypothesis either in terms of (a) a specific depression profile, or (b) the impact of vascular risk and depression on cognitive and functional impairment. There were, however, significant relationships between heart disease and executive function measures, and between all cognitive measures and ADL functioning. Conclusion: The current findings imply there may be a threshold of severity of vascular burden before clinically significant symptoms become apparent. However, the findings may also be explained by a common underlying mechanism (either biological or psychosocial) linking vascular disease and depression. Prospective longitudinal studies are required to clarify causal mechanisms. DA - 2009 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2009 T1 - Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic TI - Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8972 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/8972
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationKinnear H. Vascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinic. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2009 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8972en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Psychologyen_ZA
dc.titleVascular risk and depression in outpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital memory clinicen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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