Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults With and Without Depressive Symptom

November 5, 2026 updated by: University Medical Centre Maribor

Factors Differentiating Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms From Those With Mild Cognitive Impairment Without Depressive Symptoms

This study will compare adults aged 65 years or older who have mild cognitive impairment, with and without depressive symptoms. The researchers plan to participants at University Medical Centre Maribor, with two equally sized groups. They will compare outcomes in several different cognitive domains (visuospatial abilities, emotional modulation, social cognition) and in DNA methylation of relevant regions (for BDNF, COMT, and SLC6A4 gene promoters).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

This cross-sectional observational study will examine cognitive and epigenetic differences between older adults with mild cognitive impairment who have depressive symptoms and those who do not. Potential participants will be identified through the outpatient psychogeriatric, psychiatric, and neurology clinics and the inpatient geriatric psychiatry units at University Medical Centre Maribor. Participants will be aged 65 years or older, have cognitive screening results consistent with mild cognitive impairment, and provide written informed consent. The planned sample will include two equally sized groups of participants.

Participants will be classified according to the presence or absence of depressive symptoms at the initial assessment. Depressive symptoms will be reassessed early in the study to confirm group classification. Participants will receive the same standard of diagnostic assessment and treatment as patients who do not take part in the study.

The study will compare performance on tasks assessing visuospatial abilities, emotional modulation abilities and social cognition. The investigators hypothesize that participants with depressive symptoms will perform better on the visuospatial task and less well on the emotional capture and social cognition tasks than participants without depressive symptoms. Blood samples will be collected to compare DNA methylation in the promoter regions of BDNF, COMT, and SLC6A4 between the two groups.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of adults aged 65 years or older with cognitive screening results consistent with mild cognitive impairment. Potential participants will be identified at University Medical Centre Maribor through the outpatient psychogeriatric, psychiatric, and neurology clinics and the inpatient geriatric psychiatry units. The planned sample includes equal numbers of participants with depressive symptoms without depressive symptoms.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 65 years or older.
  • Receiving outpatient or inpatient psychiatric care with a working diagnosis of a mood, anxiety, or cognitive disorder.
  • Cognitive screening results consistent with mild cognitive impairment.
  • Written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Established diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or another specific form of dementia.
  • Established diagnosis of another specific neurological or neurodegenerative disease.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: CASE_CONTROL
  • Time Perspectives: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Mild Cognitive Impairment With Depressive Symptoms

Adults aged 65 years or older with mild cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms, as determined by the study's depression assessment.
Mild Cognitive Impairment Without Depressive Symptoms

Adults aged 65 years or older with mild cognitive impairment without depressive symptoms, as determined by the study's depression assessment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visuospatial Task Performance
Time Frame: At the baseline study visit.

Visuospatial performance will be measured using computer guided cognitive task (n-back). Values will be compared between participants with mild cognitive impairment with and without depressive symptoms.
At the baseline study visit.
Emotional Capture Task Performance
Time Frame: At the baseline study visit.

Emotional capture will be assessed using the computer guided Emotional Capture Task. Values will be compared between participants with mild cognitive impairment with and without depressive symptoms.
At the baseline study visit.
Social Cognition Performance on the Faux Pas Test
Time Frame: At the baseline study visit.

Social cognition will be assessed using the Faux Pas Test. Scores will be compared between participants with mild cognitive impairment with and without depressive symptoms.
At the baseline study visit.
Regional DNA Methylation (BDNF, COMT and SLC6A4 promoter gene regions)
Time Frame: At the baseline study visit.

DNA methylation will be measured in target regions using DNA obtained from blood samples. Results will be compared between participants with mild cognitive impairment with and without depressive symptoms.
At the baseline study visit.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Medical Centre Maribor

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana
Medical Faculty Maribor

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 23, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 5, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • UKCMB-PSIH-MCI-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

A decision has not yet been made about whether de-identified individual participant data from this study will be shared with other researchers.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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