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Objective Previous studies on cognitive deficits in acute and remitted states of old-age depression have shown mixed findings. The episodic nature of depression makes repeated assessment of cognitive performance important in order to address reversibility and stability of cognitive deficits. Methods Dementia-free older participants (≥60 years) from the population-based Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen who completed neuropsychological testing at baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2) formed the basis of the study sample. Participants were grouped according to depression status at T1 and T2: depressed–remitted (n = 32), remitted–depressed (n = 45), and nondepressed–depressed (n = 29). These groups were compared with a group of randomly selected and matched (age, gender, education, and follow-up time) healthy controls (n = 106) over a period of maximum 6 years. Results Mixed ANCOVAs, controlling for age and gender, revealed depression-related deficits for processing speed, attention, executive function, and category fluency. In remitted states, only processing speed and attention were affected. However, these deficits were attenuated after exclusion of persons using benzodiazepine medications. A general pattern of cognitive decline was observed across all groups for processing speed, executive function, category fluency, and episodic and semantic memory; persons transitioning from a nondepressed to depressed state tended to show exacerbated cognitive decline. Conclusions The results support the notion that cognitive deficits in depression may be more transient than stable. Consequently, cognitive deficits in depression might be regarded as potential treatment targets rather than stable vulnerabilities. As such, repeated assessment of cognitive functioning may provide an additional marker of treatment response.

Background: To evaluate the effects of pet therapy on cognitive function, mood and perceived quality of life on elderly inpatients (mean age 84.7 years; 95.2% women) affected by dementia, depression and psychosis. Methods: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 15-items Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered to 10 patients (pet group) and 11 controls (control group) together with a self-perceived quality-of-life questionnaire, before and after a pet therapy intervention that lasted 6 weeks. MMSE and GDS mean scores were compared between and within groups by Student's t-test. Results: Both the pet group and control group improved on GDS and MMSE. Within the pet group, GDS symptoms decreased by 50% (from 5.9 to 2.7, P= 0.013), whereas mean MMSE score increased by 4.5 (P= 0.060). The between group comparison showed a positive effect of pet therapy intervention on GDS (P= 0.070). Most of the participants reported an improvement of their perceived quality of life. Conclusions: Pet therapy is efficient in improving depressive symptoms and cognitive function in residents of long-term care facilities with mental illness.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between late-life body mass index (BMI) and dementia development with a time perspective and to investigate the effect of weight changes on dementia incidence. DESIGN: Three-, 6-, and 9-year follow-up study. SETTING: The Kungsholmen Project. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two hundred fifty-five subjects aged 75 and older with baseline BMI data available. MEASUREMENTS: Cox-regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for dementia detected at different risk periods in relation to baseline BMI. The association between BMI changes and development of dementia after 3 and 6 years was also analyzed. RESULTS: Subjects with a BMI of 25.0 kg/m2 or higher had a lower risk of developing dementia than subjects with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9 (HR=0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.59–0.96), even when cases occurring only during the last follow-up period (6–9 years after BMI assessment) were included (HR=0.66. 95% CI=0.40–1.07). Severe BMI loss (>10%) was related to a greater risk of dementia, but this association was present only for dementia cases detected in the subsequent 3 years (HR=2.18, 95% CI=1.27–3.74). CONCLUSION: This study does not confirm that being overweight in late life is a risk factor for dementia, although a protective effect for a BMI greater than 25.0 is suggested. In addition, BMI loss is confirmed as a marker of incipient dementia. The findings suggest that, from a clinical perspective, the cognitive profile of elderly persons with unexplained weight loss should be considered and that being moderately overweight at older ages might be indicative of good health status.