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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in the presence of mixed cognitive and affective symptoms | | Author(s) | Burton V Reifler |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 9, supplement 1, 1997 |
| Pages | pp 59-64 |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Depression ; Diagnosis. |
| Annotation | Dementia and depression are the two most common mental illnesses in later life, and it is probable that they will co-exist in many patients. This co-existence is complicated by the fact that both illnesses can be mistaken for each other, so that many patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may initially be diagnosed as depressed, whereas depression is a recognised cause of cognitive impairment. It is important to correctly differentiate between these two diagnoses: if depression is the cause of cognitive impairment, full recovery is possible. It is also important to recognise depression in patients with AD, because depression represents a treatable source of additional disability. For patients with AD living in the community, functional limitations can determine whether the patient remains at home or is institutionalised, so treatment that can improve functional ability should be strongly considered. This article focuses on techniques for establishing a differential diagnosis, with particular emphasis on patients in primary care settings, and briefly considers the value and impact of treatment. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-981001224 A |
| Classmark | EA: ENR: LK7 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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