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Cited by 24Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchHistorical and Modern Theater StudiesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Role of Executive Dysfunction and Dysexecutive Behavior in Late-Life Depression and Disability

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Gansler, David A., Suvak, Michael, Arean, Patricia, Alexopoulos, George S.·2015·The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.jagp.2015.05.003PMC PMC4591108
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Abstract

Objective Both executive dysfunction (ED), measured by performance-based tasks, and dysexecutive behavior (DB), measured by behavioral rating scales, contribute to late-life depression and comorbid disability. There is a modest positive association of ED and DB, but less is known about their relative contributions to core aspects of neuropsychiatric conditions and whether they provide unique or redundant information. Methods Latent variable analyses were applied to ED, DB, depression, and disability data from 220 older patients with major depression and ED who had been enrolled in a psychosocial treatment study of depression. ED measures included the Trail Making Test, part B, Stroop Color Word Interference Test, and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Trail 1. The ED scale from the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, self and other-rated, served as the ratings-based measure of DB. Results The measurement model, with all four latent variables related to one another, demonstrated good fit (RMSEA=0.06). In the structural models, DB was associated with both depression (β=0.61) and disability (β=0.42), whereas ED was associated with depression (β=0.43) but not disability (β=0.16). Social problem-solving accounted for 49% of the influence of DB on late-life depression, whereas ED was not related to social problem-solving. Conclusion ED and the lesser studied DB measures offer unique and complementary information. DB was robustly associated with late-life depression and disability. Patients with depression and ED may be more likely to develop disability when they exhibit DB and social problem-solving difficulties.

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  • In LLD, EFD is associated with increased disability.

    “Notably, the presence of EFD is indicative of resistance to antidepressant treatment, increased disability, poor quality of life, and an elevated susceptibility to suicide.3,4”

    From Can Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Relieve Executive Dysfunction in Patients With Late-Life Depression? (2024) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Results (Aim Two) report that executive dysfunction (ED) was not significantly associated with disability; only dysexecutive behavior (DB) was. The Discussion likewise states that ED was not significantly associated with disability in this study, while noting that all participants had executive dysfunction. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • In LLD, EFD is indicative of resistance to antidepressant treatment.

    “Notably, the presence of EFD is indicative of resistance to antidepressant treatment, increased disability, poor quality of life, and an elevated susceptibility to suicide.3,4”

    From Can Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Relieve Executive Dysfunction in Patients With Late-Life Depression? (2024) · cites this paper as [3]

  • In LLD, EFD is associated with elevated susceptibility to suicide.

    “Notably, the presence of EFD is indicative of resistance to antidepressant treatment, increased disability, poor quality of life, and an elevated susceptibility to suicide.3,4”

    From Can Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Relieve Executive Dysfunction in Patients With Late-Life Depression? (2024) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Introduction and Discussion address executive dysfunction, antidepressant response, depression, and disability, but do not link executive dysfunction to suicide risk. The Methods’ Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria mention suicidal ideation only to say that people expressing active suicidal ideation were excluded; this does not establish elevated susceptibility to suicide. Searched for suicide risk and suicidal ideation. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In LLD, EFD is associated with poor quality of life.

    “Notably, the presence of EFD is indicative of resistance to antidepressant treatment, increased disability, poor quality of life, and an elevated susceptibility to suicide.3,4”

    From Can Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Relieve Executive Dysfunction in Patients With Late-Life Depression? (2024) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Methods (Measurement Procedures; page unavailable) lists measures of depression, disability, executive dysfunction, and dysexecutive behavior, but not quality of life. Searches for “quality of life,” “QOL,” and related terms found no passage linking executive dysfunction in late-life depression to poor quality of life. The paper's findings about disability do not establish the specific claim about quality of life. (LLM, conf=0.74)

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Research works printed but not linked: 26

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Authors
Gansler, D. A., Suvak, M., Arean, P., & Alexopoulos, G. S.
Affiliations
  • Suffolk University (US)
  • Cornell University (US)
Corresponding author
Gansler, David A.
ORCID
Venue
The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-10
Volume
23
Issue
10
Pages
1038-1045
ISSN
1064-7481 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jagp.2015.05.003
PMC
PMC4591108
OpenAlex
W2142796869
Cited by
24
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4
FWCI
2.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH064099, R01MH063982, K2 MH074717, P30 MH 085943)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
executive dysfunction, geriatric depression, disability, older adults, social problem solving, Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, Trail Making Test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, neuropsychiatric comorbidity
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Behavior, Major Depressive Disorder, Disability Evaluation, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Problem Solving, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Regression Analysis, Comorbidity, Executive Function

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