Alzheimer's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alzheimer's Disease, including details on diagnosis, memory loss, heredity, treatment, medication.

Long-term outcome of depressive pseudodementia in the elderly.

Sáez-Fonseca JA, Lee L, Walker Z

Specialist Registrar North Essex Mental Heath Partnership NHS Trust, UK. j.andres.saez.fonseca@doctors.org.uk

BACKGROUND: The term depressive pseudodementia has proved to be a popular clinical concept. Little is known about the long-term outcome of this syndrome. AIMS: To compare depressed elderly patients with reversible cognitive impairment and cognitively intact depressed elderly patients. METHODS: All patients suffering from moderate or severe depression admitted to St Margaret's Hospital, UK as inpatients or day hospital outpatients between January 1 1997 and December 31 1999 (n=182) were screened for entry into the study. Eligible patients were divided into those presenting with pseudodementia and those who were cognitively intact and followed up for 5 to 7 years. RESULTS: Seventy-one point four percent of those suffering from pseudodementia had converted into dementia at follow-up compared to only 18.2% in the cognitively intact group. The relative risk was 3.929 (95% CI: 1.985 to 7.775) and the 'number needed to harm' 1.88. CONCLUSIONS: Reversible cognitive impairment in late-life moderate to severe depression appears to be a strong predictor of dementia. Inpatients and day hospital outpatients with depressive pseudodementia should probably have a full dementia screening, comprehensive cognitive testing and ongoing monitoring of their cognitive function.

Published 12 June 2007 in J Affect Disord, 101(1): 123-9.
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