WiP Seminar: Nick Ainsworth

Nick Ainsworth, MD
Clinical Fellow, Psychiatry, UBC

Exploring the relationship between psychomotor slowing and outcomes in late-life depression

Major depressive disorder (depression) is a common condition affecting older adults, also called late-life depression (LLD), and can negatively impact overall health, including by increasing the risk for dementia and of poor outcomes from physical health conditions. Older adults whose depression does not respond to initial treatment are more likely to experience physical frailty and cognitive deficits. These problems are also related to a phenomenon called psychomotor slowing, which is a decrease in the speed of both physical movements and cognitive processing that can occur in depression and is linked to disruptions in dopamine transmission in the brain. The presence of psychomotor slowing can signify more severe illness and a risk of worse outcomes in LLD. We do not fully understand the link between psychomotor slowing and treatment response in LLD.

My current research is investigating how a dopamine analogue called levodopa (L-DOPA) mitigates psychomotor slowing in LLD (measured primarily by gait speed), and to what degree this change predicts improvements in depression symptoms and cognitive function. The main hypothesis is that individuals with LLD who experience an increase in walking speed following L-DOPA (L-DOPA response) will also be more likely to experience improvement in symptoms of depression and cognitive function following antidepressant treatment.

This research seeks to better understand the link between LLD, psychomotor slowing, and modulation of the dopamine system in the brain. The overarching goal is to generate data that will allow us to provide more targeted treatment recommendations for older adults living with depression.

This is a hybrid event, you may attend in person or virtually. Please register and indicate your preference.