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Effects of Antidepressant Treatment on Cognitive Performance in Elderly Subjects With Heart Failure and Comorbid Major Depression: An Exploratory Study

From the Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil; and the Division of Geriatric Cardiology and Division of Psychology , Institute of the Heart, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Tânia C.T.F. Alves, M.D., Ph.D., Centro de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires Campos s/n – 3. Andar, CEP 05403-010, São Paulo-SP Brazil. e-mail: tania_alves{at}hotmail.com

Cognitive deficits are common in association with heart failure (HF), and it is possible that their severity is magnified by the concomitant presence of major depressive disorder (MDD). Using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination battery, the authors compared the cognitive performance of MDD–HF subjects (N=20), nondepressed HF subjects (N=23), and healthy control subjects (N=18). Scores were lower in both HF groups relative to control subjects. In the MDD–HF group, there were significant cognitive improvements after antidepressant treatment. Cognitive impairment is, therefore, significant in HF subjects with or without comorbid MDD, and it is important to recognize and treat MDD symptoms associated with HF.

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