We read with great interest the recent article by Mackin et al. (
1
). This is an important contribution because it reverts the common belief that subjects
with late-life depression (LLD) have increased brain amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition
compared with cognitively healthy nondepressed (ND) control subjects. Indeed, the
authors found that patients with LLD have less Aβ pathology than control subjects.
Mackin et al. confirmed previous literature showing that this psychiatric population has impaired
cognition and speculated that this may be due to Aβ-unrelated mechanisms. The study
appears robust because it involved 238 subjects from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging
Initiative (ADNI) Depression Project and ADNI database. However, we would like to
point out some potential biases of the study that may have influenced the findings,
at least in part.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- Late-life depression is associated with reduced cortical amyloid burden: Findings from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Depression Project.Biol Psychiatry. 2021; 89: 757-765
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- Apolipoprotein E, dementia, and cortical deposition of β-amyloid protein.N Engl J Med. 1995; 333: 1242-1247
- Lower CSF amyloid beta peptides and higher F2-isoprostanes in cognitively intact elderly individuals with major depressive disorder.Am J Psychiatry. 2012; 169: 523-530
- State-dependent alterations in cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42 levels in cognitively intact elderly with late-life major depression.Neuroreport. 2016; 27: 1068-1071
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 11, 2020
Accepted:
September 22,
2020
Received in revised form:
September 22,
2020
Received:
July 23,
2020
Footnotes
See also associated correspondence: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.019.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Society of Biological Psychiatry.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Late-Life Depression Is Associated With Reduced Cortical Amyloid Burden: Findings From the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Depression ProjectBiological PsychiatryVol. 89Issue 8
- Reply to: Brain Amyloid Deposition in Late-Life DepressionBiological PsychiatryVol. 89Issue 8
- PreviewWe appreciate the comments of Pomara and Imbimbo (1) on our article (2). We found these comments to be thought-provoking and agree that these issues are important to clarify. Our colleagues initially raise concern that a difference in amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) between the nondepressed and late-life depression (LLD) groups was minimal (1.10 ± 0.16 vs. 1.06 ± 0.14; p = .02). However, a group difference of 0.04 with a residual standard deviation of 0.14 appears more than minimal.
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