AUTHOR=Zhang Si , Chen Ben , Zhong Xiaomei , Zhang Min , Wang Qiang , Wu Zhangying , Hou Le , Zhou Huarong , Chen Xinru , Liu Meiling , Yang Mingfeng , Lin Gaohong , Hummel Thomas , Ning Yuping TITLE=Interactive Effects of Agitation and Cognitive Impairment on Odor Identification in Patients With Late-Life Depression JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.839012 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.839012 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=Background

Late-life depression (LLD) is a risk factor for cognitive decline in older adults, and odor identification (OI) deficits are an early indicator of cognitive decline with LLD. However, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) are common in LLD and are associated with OI deficits. In subjects with LLD, when OI deficits forecast cognitive decline, whether and how NPS affects the relationship between OI and cognition still must be further explored.

Objective

To comprehensively explore the potential effects of various NPSs on the relationship between OI and cognition in participants with LLD.

Methods

There were 167 patients with LLD and 105 normal elderly (NE) participants. The odor identification test (Sniffin' Sticks), cognitive function assessments (global cognition, memory, executive function, attention, language, visual space), and an NPS assessment (the neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire) were performed on the subjects. In patients with LLD, the relationship among OI, cognition and NPSs was examined using correlation analysis and moderation analysis.

Results

In patients with LLD, OI was positively correlated with cognition (global cognition, memory, executive function, attention, language) and negatively associated with NPSs (agitation and aberrant motor behavior). In NE group, OI was correlated with executive function. Moderation analysis showed that there was an interactive effect of agitation and cognitive impairment (language deficit or attention deficit) on OI in patients with LLD.

Conclusion

The coexistence of agitation and language or attention deficit was associated with worse OI in subjects with LLD. Agitation should be considered since OI predicts cognitive decline in patients with LLD.