Associations Between Depression and Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: neuropsychological assessment; elderly; cognitive reserve; neurocognitive disorders; depression; anxiety
Interests: psychometrics; machine learning; large language models; assessment
Interests: sustainable employability; aging workforce; work–family interactions
Interests: neuroscience and research; application of smartphones in psychological research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
The relationship between depressive symptoms and an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment and neurocognitive disorders (dementias) in older adults is well established. The recurrent presence of depressive episodes amplifies this risk, with variations depending on study design, treatment duration and measurement methods. This relationship may be bidirectional: depression can act both as a risk factor and prodromal symptom of underlying neurodegenerative processes. Different patterns of risk emerge depending on the age of onset of depression. Late-onset depression is frequently associated with emerging vascular or neurodegenerative processes. The combined approach of the clinical management of depression, vascular-risk control, and lifestyle interventions has been established as a strategy to reduce risk and preserve cognitive function in aging populations.
This Special Issue aims to advance knowledge on the relationship between depression and cognitive impairment in older adults. Contributions that address diagnostic challenges, clinical management, prevention and treatment strategies, as well as studies highlighting the competencies and training needs of health professionals working with this population are welcome. Observational studies (cross-sectional, longitudinal and case–control), interventional studies, systematic reviews, and innovative approaches that deepen the understanding of this topic will also be accepted.
Dr. Tatiana Quarti Irigaray
Dr. Wagner De Lara Machado
Dr. Manoela Ziebell De Oliveira
Dr. Carmen Moret-Tatay
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- aging
- older adults
- depression
- cognitive impairment
- dementia
- neurocognitive disorders
- intervention
- mental health
- cognition.
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