Vascular risk factors for depression and apathy | Part II 82 Abstract Background Despite successful treatment of depressive disorder many patients continue to suffer from residual symptoms. Since (cerebro)vascular disease is a determinant of depression as well as apathy, we hypothesized that apathy in remitted depression is related to comorbid vascular disease. Methods Among a well-defined, prospective cohort of 1523 depressed patients, we crosssectionally studied, whether vascular risk factors and diseases were associated with apathy among those 663 participants who achieved a full-remission at 6-year followup. Depressive disorders were assessed according to DSM-IV criteria applying the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) at baseline and follow-up. Multiple linear regression analyses were applied to study the association between vascular risk factors and diseases (independent variables) and apathy (dependent variable), adjusted for confounders including residual depressive symptoms. Apathy was measured with the Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) as well as apathy dimensions identified by principal component analysis (PCA) on the item-scores of the SAS and Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS). Results Among the 663 participants (mean age (SD): 46.5 (16.1) years; 66.5% females) none of the vascular risk factors (blood pressure, ankle brachial index, body mass index, smoking and diabetes mellitus) or vascular diseases (cardiac disease, cerebrovascular accidents) were associated with apathy, neither the SAS sum score, nor both apathy factors we identified by the PCA. Limitations Neuroimaging would have provided more information. Conclusions Apathy in remitted depression is not associated with vascular damage. (233)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw