ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The vascular depression hypothesis, as stated by Alexopoulos et al., a decade ago, was that cerebrovascular disease may predispose, precipitate, or perpetuate some geriatric depressive syndromes (1). The hypothesis called attention to the possibility that vascular factors may contribute to depression. This broad hypothesis was not meant to be tested explicitly in research studies; rather, it was meant to serve as a conceptual platform on which to build specific hypotheses that can be tested experimentally. The hypothesis has served as a guide in the generation of studies of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, outcomes, and treatment of a large subgroup of geriatric patients with depression. In this chapter we examine vascular depression-related research and developments, with an eye to clinical implications and possible future research.
