The longitudinal effects of moderate alcohol use on mood and cognition in late life depression
Trinh A, Manning K, McQuoid D, et al
The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
March 18, 2021
In older adults with major depression (LLD), alcohol use disorder is reported to interfere with antidepressant treatment and is linked with suicidal ideation. Researchers here investigated how moderate alcohol use in LLD influences mood and cognitive outcomes over time. Data from Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly (NCODE) study were used in this work. Neuropsychological evaluations with the Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) cognitive battery as well as other tests of executive functioning and processing speed (eg, Trail Making Test) are performed on NCODE participants annually. In addition, participants received annual depression severity ratings with a geriatric psychiatrist utilizing the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). In addition, patients’ self-reported alcohol use at the time of study entry was used to characterize them as either abstainers (n = 81) and moderate drinkers (n = 30). Herein, a small sample of risky drinkers was also defined (n = 10) and included for exploratory reasons. In terms of cognition, moderate and heavy drinkers had significant decline in the total CERAD score relative to no alcohol use patients. Findings herein suggested moderate alcohol consumption to have a beneficial influence on depression severity and a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning in LLD patients followed for upwards of 5 years.
Read the full article on The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.