Is It Dementia or Depression?

[Guest guest]

I wish I had seen this article when we first began to observe signs of Mom's

LBD. We had never heard of LBD at that time. More importantly, we first

noticed the signs of the LBD in the months following my Dad's death in 2001.

We chalked it all up to depression. I now know the difference and wish I

had known then what I know now. If I had, perhaps her course of treatment

might have been more effective. Who knows? (BTW She was diagnosed with PD

at about the same time.)

Gladys

http://tinyurl.com/47e56k

Is It Dementia or Depression?

In older adults who experience an intellectual decline, it's sometimes

difficult to tell whether the cause is dementia or depression. Both

disorders are common in later years, and each can lead to the other. It's

not rare for a person with dementia to become depressed, and a depressed

person may lose mental sharpness. The latter case is sometimes called the

dementia syndrome of depression. People with this form of depression are

often forgetful, move slowly, and have low motivation as well as mental

slowing. They may or may not appear depressed.

This syndrome responds well to treatments for depression. As mood improves,

the person's energy, ability to concentrate, and intellectual functioning

usually return to their previous levels.

Although depression and dementia share certain traits, there are some

differences that help distinguish one from the other:

Decline in mental functioning tends to be more rapid with depression than

with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia.

Unlike Alzheimer's patients, people who are depressed are usually not

disoriented.

People with depression have difficulty concentrating, whereas those affected

by Alzheimer's have problems with short-term memory.

Writing, speaking, and motor skills aren't usually impaired in depression.

Depressed people are more likely to notice and comment on their memory

problems, while Alzheimer's patients may seem indifferent to such changes.

Because there's no test that can reveal whether someone has depression or

dementia, if you and your doctor aren't certain, it's worth trying a depression

treatment. If depression is at the root, treatment can produce dramatic

improvement.