DISAGREEMENT IN THE REPORTING OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS BETWEEN PATIENTSWITH DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE AND THEIR COLLATERAL SOURCES

The authors investigated sources of disagreement on the Geriatric Depr ession Scale (GDS) between patients and their collateral sources (CSs) . There were 198 subjects with possible or probable Alzheimer's diseas e (DAT) and 64 cognitively intact subjects evaluated at nit out-patien t geriatric assessment center: The 30-item GDS was completed by the pa tient and the CS version of the GDS by the CS. A sizable discrepancy w as found in the reported of depressive symptoms by the subjects was fo und CSs. Multiple-regression analyses revealed that both level of insi ght and level of physical illness in the subjects with DAT significant ly influenced the discrepancy. An increased sense of burden in the CSs was associated with a larger symptom gap in both DAT and control subj ects. CSs consistently perceived more depressive symptoms than subject s, especially subjects with DAT who had no insight into their cognitiv e impairment.