Association between Depressive Symptoms and Mild Cognitive Impairment among the Elderly in China: A Community-Based Study

Introduction: Elderly individuals with depressive symptoms often show increased susceptibility to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study explores the association between depressive symptoms and MCI among older adults in China. Methods: Data from the Shanghai Brain Aging Study (SBAS) were used in this cross-sectional study. MCI was diagnosed through clinical assessments and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores (≤23). Depressive symptoms were defined as a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score of >10. Binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between depressive symptoms and MCI, adjusting for potential covariates. Results: The study included 1,506 participants, with 43.6% diagnosed with MCI. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between depressive symptoms and MCI. In the fully adjusted model, depressive symptoms were associated with a 65% higher likelihood of MCI (odds ratio: 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.17–2.34). RCS analysis indicated a significant non-linear relationship between depressive symptoms and MCI (p for non-linear = 0.029). Participants with depressive symptoms scored significantly lower on the MoCA subscores for visuospatial and executive function, as well as language abilities (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a significant association between depressive symptoms and MCI, with depressive symptoms being linked to a higher prevalence of MCI. Early identification and intervention of depressive symptoms, including community screening, psychological therapies, or pharmacological treatments for older adults, may potentially mitigate cognitive decline. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions, and generalizability may be affected by self-reported depression measures and regional sampling.

Elderly individuals with depressive symptoms tend to have a higher susceptibility to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and MCI in older adults using data from the Shanghai Brain Aging Study (SBAS). A total of 1,506 participants were included, with 43.6% diagnosed with MCI based on clinical assessments and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores (≤23). Depressive symptoms were identified using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a cutoff score >10. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a 65% higher likelihood of MCI (odds ratio: 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.17–2.34). Restricted cubic spline analysis further demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship between depressive symptoms and MCI (p for non-linearity <0.001). Participants with depressive symptoms also scored significantly lower on MoCA subscores, particularly in visuospatial and executive function, as well as language (all p < 0.05). However, the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and the reliance on self-reported depressive symptoms and the study’s geographical scope may have influenced the results. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and intervention for depressive symptoms, such as community screening, psychological therapies, or pharmacological treatments, to potentially mitigate cognitive decline in older adults.