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Executive function deficits and medial temporal lobe atrophy in late-life depression and Alzheimer’s disease: a comparative study

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Last modified
  • 06/25/2025
Type of Material
Authors
    Changbiao Chu, Capital Medical UniversityWeigang Pan, Capital Medical UniversityYanping Ren, Capital Medical UniversityPeixian Mao, Capital Medical UniversityChunlin Yang, Capital Medical UniversityChaomeng Liu, Capital Medical UniversityYi-lang Tang, Emory University
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2023-08-31
Publisher
  • Frontiers
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2023 Chu, Pan, Ren, Mao, Yang, Liu and Tang.
License
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
Volume
  • 14
Start Page
  • 1243894
Grant/Funding Information
  • The present work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFC3602605) and Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (No. Z191100006619105).
Abstract
  • Objectives Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and late-life depression (LLD) frequently exhibit executive function deficits (EFD) and medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) as shared characteristics. The objective of this research was to examine the utility of the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the MTA scale in distinguishing between LLD and AD. Methods A study of 100 patients, 50 with AD and 50 with LLD, was conducted using a cross-sectional design. The individuals were subjected to clinical evaluations to assess their level of depression and overall cognitive abilities, which included the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We evaluated executive function deficits (EFD) through the use of the TMT, which includes both TMT-A and TMT-B. MTA was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. To evaluate the ability of TMT and MTA scale to distinguish between the two groups, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized. To investigate the connections between MTA and neuropsychological measures, a correlation analysis was performed. Results AD patients exhibited notably reduced MMSE, MoCA, and GDS scores, as well as an increased MTA total scores, time spent on TMT-A, and TMT-B compared to LLD patients (p < 0.05). TMT-A and TMT-B both exhibited excellent discriminatory power between AD and LLD, achieving area under curve (AUC) values of 92.2 and 94.2%, respectively. In AD patients, there was a negative correlation between MMSE and MoCA scores and MTA scores, while in LLD patients, there was a positive correlation between time spent on TMT-A and GDS scores and MTA scores. Conclusion AD patients experience more severe EFD and MTA than LLD patients. The differential diagnosis of AD and LLD can be aided by the useful tool known as TMT. It is important to acknowledge that TMT is capable of capturing only a fraction of the executive function, thus necessitating a cautious interpretation of research findings.
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Keywords
Research Categories
  • Health Sciences, Mental Health
  • Biology, Neuroscience

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