MAJOR AND MINOR DEPRESSION IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - PREVALENCE AND IMPACT

One hundred nine outpatients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were neurop sychiatrically evaluated and rated on standardized measures of depress ion, activities of daily living (ADL), nonmood behavioral disturbance, and burdensome events such as serious wandering, falls, and accidents . Distribution of depression scores revealed three patient groups: ver y few depressive symptoms (51%), minor depression (27%), and major dep ression (22%). Major depression was associated with substantially grea ter impairment in ADL, worse nonmood behavioral disturbance (such as a ggression), and more frequent serious wandering, even after adjusting for severity of dementia or comorbid health problems. Minor depression was also associated with nonmood behavioral disturbance and wandering . The authors conclude that both major and minor depression are common in AD and produce considerable mood and nonmood morbidity affecting b oth patients and caregivers. Efforts are warranted to identify and tre at depression in AD.