Depression prevalence in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Depression commonly occurs in patients with mild cognitive impairment and a new review of the medical literature suggests an overall pooled prevalence of 32 percent, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

Understanding estimates of the prevalence of depression in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could help guide clinical decisions and public health policy.

Zahinoor Ismail, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., of the University of Calgary, Canada, and coauthors included 57 studies their meta-analysis, representing almost 21,000 patients.

The authors report the prevalence of depression in patients with MCI varied by source: 25 percent in community-based samples of patients but 40 percent in clinic-based samples. The study notes some limitations.

The study concludes that "more research on depression in people with MCI is required."