@inproceedings{bib_Glyc_2025, AUTHOR = {Bhaktee Dongaonkar, Arman Deep Singh, Swathi Hurakadli, Ashwini Godbole}, TITLE = {Glycated hemoglobin levels and geriatric depression impact cognitive status in an Indian urban elderly community}, BOOKTITLE = {IBRO Neuroscience Reports}. YEAR = {2025}}

This study explored the cognitive status of community-dwelling Indian older adults. Our objective was to observe the association of age-related cognitive change with other physiological health parameters like, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and vitamin B12 in older adults in India. Urban community dwelling, consenting older adults (55–85years, n = 123), with no clinical history of cognitive or neurological problems participated in the study. The participants underwent a detailed demographic documentation and cognitive assessment comprising of tests from different cognitive domains and blood-based assessment of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and vitamin B12. As expected, performance in all cognitive domains declined with increasing age. HbA1c levels correlated inversely with processing speed and executive function. Vitamin B12 levels did not correlate with performance on any cognitive test. Interestingly, geriatric depression correlated inversely with visuospatial abilities. A stepwise multiple regression revealed that HbA1c and geriatric depression contributed to 28 % variance on Montreal Cognitive Assessment while age did not qualify as a significant contributor. Using Petersen’s criteria, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) was observed in 17 % of participants. Participants classified as MCI had higher levels of HbA1c and geriatric depression, and lower performance in all cognitive domains compared to non-MCI participants. In conclusion, although cognitive performance declined with age, HbA1c and geriatric depression had a greater role in cognitive decline than age. With a high incidence of diabetes in India, this study highlights the prevalence of metabolism-linked changes in cognition, which are often ignored in community dwelling older adults in India.

@inproceedings{bib_Diff_2019, AUTHOR = {Bhaktee Dongaonkar, Almut Hupbach, Lynn Nadel, Sumantra Chattarji}, TITLE = {Differential effects of unipolar versus bipolar depression on episodic memory updating}, BOOKTITLE = {Neurobiology of Learning and Memory}. YEAR = {2019}}

Episodic memories, when reactivated, can be modified or updated by new learning. Since such dynamic memory processes remain largely unexplored in psychiatric disorders, we examined the impact of depression on episodic memory updating. Unipolar and bipolar depression patients, and age/education matched controls, first learned a set of objects (List-1). Two days later, participants in all three groups were either reminded of the first learning session or not followed by the learning of a new set of objects (List-2). Forty-eight hours later, List-1 recall was impaired in unipolar and bipolar patients compared to control participants. Further, as expected, control participants who received a reminder spontaneously recalled items from List-2 during recall of List-1, indicative of an updated List-1 memory. Such spontaneous intrusions were also seen in the unipolar and bipolar patients that received the reminder, suggesting that memory pdating was unaffected in these two patient groups despite impaired recall of List 1. Unexpectedly, we observed a trend towards higher intrusions, albeit statistically insignificant, not only in the reminder but also in the no-reminder subgroups of bipolar patients. We probed this further in a second cohort by testing recall of List-2, which was also impaired in both depression groups. Again bipolar patients showed intrusions, but this time in the reverse order from List-1 into List-2, independent of a reminder. Taken together, despite impaired recall, updating of episodic memories was intact and unidirectional in unipolar depression. In contrast, indiscriminate updating, as evidenced by bidirectional interference between episodic memories, was seen in bipolar depression. These findings reveal a novel distinction between unipolar versus bipolar depression using a reactivation-dependent memory updating paradigm.

@inproceedings{bib_Effe_2013, AUTHOR = {Bhaktee Dongaonkar, Almut Hupbach, Rebecca Gomez, Lynn Nadel}, TITLE = {Effects of psychosocial stress on episodic memory updating.}, BOOKTITLE = {Psychopharmacology}. YEAR = {2013}}