The role of cognitive reserve and depression on executive function in older adults: A 10-year study from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention

<b>Objective:</b> The current study examined the longitudinal relationship between cognitive reserve (CR), depression, and executive function (EF) in a cohort of older adults. <b>Methods</b>: 416 participants were selected from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. They were native English speakers, aged ≥50+, and cognitively unimpaired at baseline, with no history of neurological or other psychiatric disorders aside from depression. Depression was assessed with the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A composite score, based on the premorbid IQ (WRAT-3 Reading subtest) and years of education was used to estimate CR. Another composite score from four cognitive tests was used to estimate EF. A moderation analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of CR and Depression on EF at follow-up after controlling for age, gender, and APOE risk score. Moreover, a multinomial logistic regression was used to predict conversion to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) from the healthy baseline. <b>Results</b>: The negative relationship between depression and EF was stronger in individuals with higher CR levels, suggesting a possible floor effect at lower CR levels. In the multinomial regression, the interaction between CR and depression predicted conversion to MCI status, indicating that lower CR paired with more severe depression at baseline was associated with a higher risk of subsequent impairment. <b>Conclusions</b>: This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between depression and EF over time, suggesting that the association may be influenced by varying levels of CR. Further studies may replicate these findings in clinical populations.