Influence of depression, anxiety and stress on cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador: Results of the Atahualpa Project

Authors

Oscar H. Del Brutto
Robertino M. Mera
Victor J. Del Brutto
Gladys Maestre, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Hannah Gardener
Mauricio Zambrano
Clinton B. Wright

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2015

Abstract

Aim:

To assess the relationship between cognitive status and self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress of older adults living in an underserved rural South American population.

Methods:

Community-dwelling Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door census, and evaluated with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We explored whether positivity in each of the DASS-21 axes was related to total and domain-specific MoCA performance after adjustment for age, sex and education.

Results:

A total of 280 persons (59% women; mean age, mean age 70 ± 8 years) were included. Based on established cut-offs for the DASS-21, 12% persons had depression, 15% had anxiety and 5% had stress. Mean total MoCA scores were significantly lower for depressed than for not depressed individuals (15.9 ± 5.5 vs 18.9 ± 4.4, P < 0.0001). Depressed participants had significantly lower total and domain-specific MoCA scores for abstraction, short-term memory and orientation. Anxiety was related to significantly lower total MoCA scores (17 ± 4.7 vs 18.8 ± 4.5, P = 0.02), but not to differences in domain-specific MoCA scores. Stress was not associated with significant differences in MoCA scores.

Conclusion:

The present study suggests that depression and anxiety are associated with poorer cognitive performance in elderly residents living in rural areas of developing countries.

Comments

PMC Copyright notice

Recommended Citation

Del Brutto, O. H., Mera, R. M., Del Brutto, V. J., Maestre, G. E., Gardener, H., Zambrano, M., & Wright, C. B. (2015). Influence of depression, anxiety and stress on cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador: results of the Atahualpa Project. Geriatrics & gerontology international, 15(4), 508–514. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12305

Publication Title

Geriatrics & gerontology international

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12305

Academic Level

faculty

Mentor/PI Department

Neuroscience