Depression, Anxiety and Social Relationships as Risk Factors for Dementia

Depression as Risk Factor for Dementia

The main objective of the present work is to establish a firm knowledge base regarding depression and anxiety as risk factors for dementia and how social relationships impact this association. This risk factors, and efforts to reduce them are described through a follow up over three decades.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Dementia; Anxiety; Loneliness; Dementia Alzheimers; Risk Factor; Social Isolation

Detailed Description

The Health Study in Nord-Trondelag (HUNT) fulfils most of the key requirements of a population-representative cohort study by meeting the following elements: firm knowledge about the population denominator, knowledge about reasons for refusal (in line with previous methods in HUNT), options for levels and localisation of participation (at test station, at home, at nursing homes), coverage of sociodemographic features by the comprehensive HUNT4-protocol and register linkage, inclusion of institutionalized individuals and individuals with reduced capacity to consent, measurement of risk and compensatory factors across the life course by merging with previous results in HUNT surveys and linkage to registries, core elements and assessment methods can be compared with other European populations studies including elderly people, and finally, the ability to include biobank results in the data analysis. The HUNT data supplemented by register linkage include all established and suspected risk factors of dementia.

A particular focus on primary health care is appropriate because it is in this part of the health care system that the need for extra resources due to the substantial increase in dementia prevalence is most pronounced. Furthermore, preventive measures in a life-course perspective will mainly have to be implemented in the primary health care setting.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 11000

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Tønsberg, Norway
    • Norwegian national advisory unit on Ageing and Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 70 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Inhabitants living in the designated areas that voluntared to the health survey and accepted a cognitive test.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Living in designated area

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
HUNT4 70+; All inhabitants of Nord-Trøndelag 70 years or older were invited to participate in HUNT 4 70+. HUNT4 refers to the fourth wave of the HUNT-study (HelseUndersøkelse i Nord-Trøndelag or health survey in northern part of Trøndelag community in Middle of Norway) and 70+ refers to the part of the survey directed to participants aged seventy years and older.
HUNT4 70+ Trondheim; All inhabitants of one district in Trondheim 70 years or older were invited to participate in HUNT 4 70+

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of dementia diagnosis in HUNT4 70+ study	Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria DSM-5.	2017-2019
Incidence of Minimal Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the HUNT 70+ study	Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria DSM-5.	2017-2019

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in loneliness	Self-reported feeling of loneliness	1995-2019

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Norwegian Centre for Ageing and Health
• Collaborators: Norwegian Institute of Public Health; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; University College, London; Norwegian Health Association
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Geir Selbæk, Phd, Norwegian national advisory unit on Ageing and Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 5, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): March 8, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 22, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mood Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Tauopathies; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Dementia; Alzheimer Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: 181011

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No