Abstract
Depression has been linked to Alzheimer's disease as either an increased risk factor for its development or as a prodromal symptom. The neurobiological basis for such an association, however, remains poorly understood. Numerous studies have examined whether changes in amyloid beta (Aβ) metabolism, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, are also found in depression. In this paper, we investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ indices in otherwise healthy, cognitively normal elderly with late-life major depression (LLMD) and controls using a longitudinal approach, which is a novel contribution toward the literature. Significantly lower levels of CSF Aβ42 were observed in the LLMD group at baseline and were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. During longitudinal follow-up, the depressed group remained cognitively unchanged, but was significantly less depressed than at baseline. A greater improvement in depressive symptoms was associated with increases in CSF Aβ42 levels in both groups. Increases in CSF Aβ42 and Aβ40 were also associated with increased CSF total-tau levels. Our results suggest that LLMD may be associated with state-dependent effects of CSF Aβ42 levels. Future studies should determine whether the association reflects state-dependent changes in neuronal activity and/or brain amyloid burden in depression.