Unraveling Ariadne's Thread Into the Labyrinth of aMCI: Depression and Financial Capacity.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) face many daily challenges as memory loss is their predominant cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether financial capacity can be influenced by comorbid depression in patients with multiple-domain aMCI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The participants included 120 patients in 4 groups multiple-domain aMCI with and without depressive symptoms, and nondemented elders with and without depression. Participants were examined with the Mini-Mental State Examination, the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Legal Capacity for Property Law Transactions Assessment Scale. RESULTS: The findings extend earlier work in other groups of older patients and indicate that the performance of patients with multiple-domain aMCI in cognitive functioning and financial capacity is severely impaired when depression coexists, resembling the performance of patients with mild Alzheimer disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results support special care for individuals with depression as this condition severely influences financial capacity in aMCI.