EPA-1295 - Dementia and Depression in Elderly Patients - Differential Diagnosis and Comorbidity

Abstract

Introduction:

The combination of dementia and depression in elderly patients is challenging for the differential diagnosis of the clinical situation

Aims:

To examinethe comorbidity of dementia and depression in elderly patients

Objectives:

231 patients aged 70 years and older.

Methods:

MMSE and clock drawing test, HADS and Cornell Scalefor Depression in Dementia (SCDD).

Results:

The study revealed the presence of mild cognitive impairment in 118 patients, unequivocally proven symptoms of dementia - in 113 patients.

Depressive disorders were found in 88 patients. Depressive symptoms were found in 136 patients. In patients with mild cognitive disorders prevailed depressive disorders of mild to moderate severity.

The relations of depression and dementia in Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia are the following options:

1. 1. Depressive disorders are often detected in the patients who later developed dementia.

2. 2. The clinical picture of depression in Alzheimer's disease may occur with atypical symptoms, as well as a number of symptoms of dementia can be mistakenly classified as a manifestation of depressive disorder.

3. 3. In some cases, patients with incipient dementia can be set psychogenic the nature of depression.

Conclusions:

The development of depression in elderly patients, especially without the presence of a ‘trigger’ social factor may be a predictor or risk factor for cognitive impairment in the future. This applies particularly to patients who have depressive disorder is an atypical clinical picture and the processes of the clinic ‘pseudodementia’ and to the patients, in addition to having a depressive disorder clinically significant neurologic deficit.