Key result
Older adults with depressive symptoms showed significantly reduced prefrontal cortex activation during the Stroop test compared to controls (-0.75 μM vs 0.14 μM; p=0.03).
Why the study?
This study aimed to investigate differences in prefrontal cortex activation between older adults with and without depressive symptoms during cognitive tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
Does fNIRS assessment during cognitive tasks detect differences in prefrontal cortex activation in older adults with depressive symptoms compared to those without?
Cross-Sectional (n=204)
Does fNIRS assessment during cognitive tasks detect differences in prefrontal cortex activation in older adults with depressive symptoms compared to those without?
Absolute Event Rate: -0.75% vs 0.14%
p-value: p=0.03
Older adults with depressive symptoms show significantly reduced prefrontal cortex hemodynamics during the Stroop test compared to controls, suggesting fNIRS could be a sensitive measure for depressive symptoms.
May reflect prefrontal involvement in late-life depressive cognitive deficits; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation.
This study aimed to investigate differences in prefrontal cortex activation between older adults with and without depressive symptoms during cognitive tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We examined 204 older participants without psychiatric or neurological disorders who completed the Geriatric Depression Scale, digit span, Verbal Fluency Test, and Stroop test. At the same time, prefrontal cortex activation was recorded using fNIRS. During the Stroop test, significantly reduced hemodynamics were observed in the depressive-symptom group. The mean accΔHbO2 of all channel averages was 0.14 μM in the control group and −0.75 μM in the depressive-symptom group (p = 0.03). The right hemisphere average was 0.13 μM and −0.96 μM, respectively (p = 0.02), and the left hemisphere average was 0.14 μM and −0.54 μM, respectively (p = 0.12). There was no significant difference in hemodynamic response (mean accΔHbO2) between the two groups during the digit span backward and VFT. In conclusion, reduced hemodynamics in the frontal cortex of the depressive-symptom group has been observed. The frontal fNIRS signal and the Stroop task may be used to measure depressive symptoms sensitively in the elderly.
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Kang et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Depressive symptoms (n=204). Depressive symptoms vs. No depressive symptoms (control group) was evaluated on Mean accΔHbO2 of all channel averages during the Stroop test (p=0.03). Older adults with depressive symptoms showed significantly reduced prefrontal cortex activation during the Stroop test compared to controls (-0.75 μM vs 0.14 μM; p=0.03).
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