Cognition and white matter hyperintensities in older depressed patients

Abstract

Large amounts of white matter hyperintensity are more frequent in patients with late-onsetdepression than in elderly subjects with early-onset or no depression. Both late- and early-onset elderly depressed patients show mild decrements in some "right hemisphere" cognitive skills; the late-onset subjects also show deterioration in information processing speed and executive functions. Patients with large amounts of white matter hyperintensity have significantly poorer executive function.