Cognitive impairment associated with depression in the elderly.

Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease: Insights for Therapy his ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS section of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry presents the highlights of the planning teleconference series “Cognitive Impairment Associated With Depression in the Elderly,” which was held in May and June 2007. This report was prepared by the CME Institute of Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc., and was supported by an educational grant from Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The planning teleconference series was chaired by Steven P. Roose, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. The faculty were Davangere Devanand, M.D., Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Roy Hamilton, M.D., M.S., Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; K. Ranga R. Krishnan, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center; Richard Mayeux, M.D., M.Sc., Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N.Y. ; and Gary W. Small, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles. In the spirit of full disclosure and in compliance with all ACCME Essential Areas and Policies, the faculty for this CME article were asked to complete a statement regarding all relevant financial relationships between themselves or their spouse/partner and any commercial interest (i.e., a proprietary entity producing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients) occurring within the 12 months prior to joining this activity. The CME Institute has resolved any conflicts of interest that were identified. The disclosures are as follows: Dr. Roose has received grant/research support from Forest and Bristol-Myers Squibb and is a member of the speakers/advisory boards for Forest, Novartis, Wyeth, Sanofi-Aventis, and Cyberonics. Dr. Devanand has received grant/research support from Wyeth, Eli Lilly, and Forest and has received honoraria from the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dr. Hamilton has received honoraria from the APA. Dr. Krishnan is a consultant for Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CeNeRx, Corcept, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Merck, Organon, Pfizer, Sepracor, and Wyeth. Dr. Small is a consultant for and has received honoraria from Pfizer, Eisai, Abbott, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil, and Dakim; is a member of the speakers/advisory boards for Pfizer, Eisai, Ortho-McNeil, and Novartis; is a stock shareholder of Dakim and Brainstorming; and is among the inventors of a patent owned by UCLA that is licensed to Siemens and receives royalties from Siemens. Dr. Mayeux has no personal affiliations or financial relationships with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients to disclose relevant to this presentation. The opinions expressed herein are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CME provider and publisher or the commercial supporter. In the United States and worldwide, the group of people 65 years and older is the most rapidly growing population. By the year 2030, this older population is projected to be more than twice as large as it was in 2000, growing to 72 million in the United States (974 million worldwide) and comprising almost 20% of the total U.S. population. The group of individuals 85 years and older is expected to expand especially rapidly until and after 2030 as the Baby Boomer generation ages. With the increase in this population, the late-life health issues of depression and dementia will increase, calling for improved diagnostic and treatment approaches and a more complete understanding of the relationship between these disorders. Steven P. Roose, M.D., gathered experts in the fields of dementia and depression to discuss and address these issues. Their presentations offer insight into the complex relationship between cognitive impairment and depression and provide strategies that address these conditions.