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The spectrum of depressive pseudo-dementia

  • Conference paper
Book cover New Trends in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Non-Alzheimer’s Dementia

Part of the book series: Journal of Neural Transmission Supplement ((NEURAL SUPPL,volume 47))

Summary

Depressive disorder causes cognitive symptoms. In the case of severe cognitive symptoms or when psychometric procedures measure cognitive decline in the range of dementia, depressed patients may be diagnosed as Depressive Pseudo-Dementia (DPD). There is no data that depressive disorder can cause dementia without coexisting depressive symptoms. The latter symptoms are frequently overseen because cognitive symptoms are equated with organic brain disease. There are typical neuropsychological features of cognitive decline in depressive disorders, like psychomotor retardation and the slow-start phenomenon.

Most patients referred to as DPD, suffer from depression-induced cognitive symptoms outside the range of dementia, but complain of memory disturbance and inability to think or concentrate. The diagnosis of DPD draws attention to a problem in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders in the elderly: Old people suffering from depression are at particular risk of beeing labelled as demented. The most important step to diagnose depression causing dementia is the search for signs and symtoms of affective disorder even after having found cognitive symptoms.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinische Abteilung für Allgemeinpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, A-1090, Wien, Austria

    Doz. Dr. P. Fischer

Authors
  1. Doz. Dr. P. Fischer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. L. Boltzmann Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Lainz-Hospital, Vienna, Austria

    Kurt A. Jellinger

  2. EBEWE-Research Initiative, Graz, Austria

    Manfred Windisch

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag

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Fischer, P. (1996). The spectrum of depressive pseudo-dementia. In: Jellinger, K.A., Windisch, M. (eds) New Trends in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Non-Alzheimer’s Dementia. Journal of Neural Transmission Supplement, vol 47. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6892-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6892-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-82823-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6892-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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