Depression in Alzheimer's Patients: Investigation of Symptom Patterns and Frequency

Although it is becoming well accepted that depression and dementia can coexist, little information is available to clarify the phenomenology of thcse coexistent diseases. The current study compared 61 patients with diagnosed Alzheimer's Disease: 28 who met criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 33 who did not. Depression symptoms were present in patients in both groups, however, as was hypothesized, significantly more depression symptoms were present in those with coexistent disease. Although no one symptom or constellation of symptoms differentiated the two groups, it was striking that 100% of those with MDD had dysphoria while only 6% of those without did. These findings are discussed as they pertain to more accurate diagnosis of these coexistent disorders.