DEMENTIA-DEPRESSION VS DEMENTIA

SUMMARY

1. Major depression (reactive or endogenous) may present with significant cognitive dysfunction - "pseudo-dementia."

2. One differentiating feature is that frontal lobe release signs (e.g., grasp, suck, rooting, & palmomental reflexes) are common in patients with dementia but they are not seen in depression.

3. Immediate recall is commonly poor in depression, due to attentional dysfunction, but good in dementia.

Reference(s)

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Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].