Depression in Dementia Syndromes
Depressive symptoms are common in many dementia syndromes, and depressive disorders are much more common in older adults with dementia than in cognitively intact older adults. Depression may be a risk factor for, or a prodromal feature of, subsequent dementia. Several neuropathological mechanisms have been suggested to explain these relationships, including the role of underlying cerebrovascular risk factors for depression and cognitive impairment. Depression also may be present in dementia as an emotional reaction to cognitive decline, or as a recurrence of early and midlife depression. Differential diagnosis between depression and dementia is essential, but complicated by problems in assessment, overlapping symptoms between the two conditions, and other medical co-morbidities. Pharmacological treatment of depression in dementia may also be complicated by medical co-morbidity, and can run the risk for adverse reactions or interactions between medications. Psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions, however, hold some promise for effective reduction of depressive symptoms.