Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study
Objectives: Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in the elderly. Alexithymia and cognitive impairment can be independently associated with depression and old age. This study aims to assess the alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction in geriatric patients with depression. Materials and Met...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Geriatric Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2022;volume=9;issue=2;spage=100;epage=108;aulast=Faye |
| _version_ | 1797645666786213888 |
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| author | Abhijeet Faye Rahul Tadke Sushil Gawande Sudhir Bhave Vivek Kirpekar Anirban Chatterjee |
| author_facet | Abhijeet Faye Rahul Tadke Sushil Gawande Sudhir Bhave Vivek Kirpekar Anirban Chatterjee |
| author_sort | Abhijeet Faye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in the elderly. Alexithymia and cognitive impairment can be independently associated with depression and old age. This study aims to assess the alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction in geriatric patients with depression. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 participants of >60 years with depression. Participants were assessed using semi-structured pro forma, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) having 3 subscales – “difficulty describing feeling” (DDF), “difficulty identifying feeling” (DIF), and “externally oriented thinking,” and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square/Fisher's exact test, Pearson's correlation, and t-test. Results: The mean age of the participants was 67.35 years with equal gender distribution. Thirty-four percent were >70 years of age and 53% from rural area. The median duration of depression was 30 months with a median duration of untreated illness, 6 months. Anxiety was the most common psychiatric comorbidity (43%). Seventy-one percent had alexithymia whereas 77% had cognitive impairment (MoCA score <26). Scores on GDS, HDRS, TAS-20, DIF, DDF, and MoCA (<26) were significantly higher in elder participants (P < 0.05) and those from rural area (P < 0.05). Higher TAS-20 score correlated with lower MoCA score (P < 0.01). Furthermore, severe depression correlated with higher TAS-20 and lower MoCA score. Conclusion: More than two-third of participants had alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction. Higher alexithymia was associated with poor cognition. Severe depression correlated with higher alexithymia and cognitive impairment. Alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction were higher in the elderly from rural region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:50:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c342b49985dd4814b88c625435fe7198 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2348-9995 2395-3322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:50:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Geriatric Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c342b49985dd4814b88c625435fe71982023-10-30T09:48:50ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Geriatric Mental Health2348-99952395-33222022-01-019210010810.4103/jgmh.jgmh_41_22Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory studyAbhijeet FayeRahul TadkeSushil GawandeSudhir BhaveVivek KirpekarAnirban ChatterjeeObjectives: Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in the elderly. Alexithymia and cognitive impairment can be independently associated with depression and old age. This study aims to assess the alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction in geriatric patients with depression. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 participants of >60 years with depression. Participants were assessed using semi-structured pro forma, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) having 3 subscales – “difficulty describing feeling” (DDF), “difficulty identifying feeling” (DIF), and “externally oriented thinking,” and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square/Fisher's exact test, Pearson's correlation, and t-test. Results: The mean age of the participants was 67.35 years with equal gender distribution. Thirty-four percent were >70 years of age and 53% from rural area. The median duration of depression was 30 months with a median duration of untreated illness, 6 months. Anxiety was the most common psychiatric comorbidity (43%). Seventy-one percent had alexithymia whereas 77% had cognitive impairment (MoCA score <26). Scores on GDS, HDRS, TAS-20, DIF, DDF, and MoCA (<26) were significantly higher in elder participants (P < 0.05) and those from rural area (P < 0.05). Higher TAS-20 score correlated with lower MoCA score (P < 0.01). Furthermore, severe depression correlated with higher TAS-20 and lower MoCA score. Conclusion: More than two-third of participants had alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction. Higher alexithymia was associated with poor cognition. Severe depression correlated with higher alexithymia and cognitive impairment. Alexithymia and cognitive dysfunction were higher in the elderly from rural region.http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2022;volume=9;issue=2;spage=100;epage=108;aulast=Fayealexithymiacognitive dysfunctiondepressionelderly |
| spellingShingle | Abhijeet Faye Rahul Tadke Sushil Gawande Sudhir Bhave Vivek Kirpekar Anirban Chatterjee Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study Journal of Geriatric Mental Health alexithymia cognitive dysfunction depression elderly |
| title | Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study |
| title_full | Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study |
| title_short | Assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression: A cross-sectional exploratory study |
| title_sort | assessment of alexithymia and cognition in elderly patients with depression a cross sectional exploratory study |
| topic | alexithymia cognitive dysfunction depression elderly |
| url | http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2022;volume=9;issue=2;spage=100;epage=108;aulast=Faye |
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