A Collaborative Study of the Emergence and Clinical Features of the Major Depressive Syndrome of Alzheimer’s Disease

Top Cited Papers
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This report provides a description of the prevalence and clinical features of the major depressive syndrome of Alzheimer’s disease using data derived from structured diagnostic assessments of 243 patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease and 151 nondemented elderly comparison subjects. METHOD: Subjects were characterized by a consortium of four Alzheimer’s disease research centers and the Geriatric Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health. All sites administered the Clinical Assessment of Depression in Dementia, a structured, anchored diagnostic interview that was developed to reliably diagnose and characterize major depressive episodes in this population. RESULTS: Despite the use of a common, reliable methodology for the assessment and diagnosis of major depressive episodes, the prevalence of major depression in Alzheimer’s disease ranged widely from 22.5% to 54.4% across the recruitment sites. The prevalence of major depressive episodes among Alzheimer’s disease patients ...