Title: Mild cognitive impairment and major depressive disorder are associated with molecular senescence abnormalities in older adults
Authors: Breno S. Diniz, Erica M. Vieira, Ana Paula Mendes‐Silva, Christopher R. Bowie, Meryl A. Butters, Corinne E. Fischer, Alastair Flint, Nathan Herrmann, James Kennedy, Krista L. Lanctôt, Linda Mah, Bruce G. Pollock, Benoit H. Mulsant, Tarek K. Rajji, on behalf of the PACt‐MD Study Group.
Our finding that individuals with co‐morbid mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and major depression have higher molecular senescence markers indicates a synergic effect on the activation of senescence‐related biological pathways, measured by the Senescence‐Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) index. Our findings provide a new mechanistic framework that can explain why older with major depression have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) compared to never‐depressed older adults.