Screening for Executive Dysfunction in Late-Life Depression: Utility of Trail Making Test and Self-Report Measures.

Objective: Prior work suggests executive dysfunction (ED) on the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 Initiation/Perseveration subscale (DRS IP) predicts poor antidepressant response in late-life depression. This study examined if either patient perception of ED or the Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) could identify patients with impairment on the SCWT or DRS IP.

Methods: Patients were 65 or older and had a diagnosis of major depression without dementia.