Molecular Senescence Is Associated With White Matter Microstructural Damage in Late-Life Depression.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The authors aim to investigate the association between white matter integrity and accelerated brain aging in late-life depression. METHODS: The authors measured senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) index proteins, cognitive performance, and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity-based indices of white matter microstructure measures in 56 older adults with remitted late-life depression. RESULTS: Higher SASP index was significantly correlated with older age (r = 0.42, p = 0.001) and worse executive function performance (r = -0.27, p = 0.04). After controlling for the effect of age, overall cognitive performance, and white matter hyperintensities, the association between SASP and left and right cingulate bundle mean diffusivity remained statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that, in the context of late-life depression, SASP proteins are associated with microstructural abnormalities in white matter tracts in brain and worse executive function performance.