Geriatric depression: further evidence for the 'vascular depression' hypothesis

Depression in the elderly is a heterogeneous group of syndromes with many b iologic and psychosocial antecedents. Recent studies support the notion tha t vascular processes may play a role in a subset of geriatric depressions. More recently, studies have attempted to delineate between 'vascular' and ' nonvascular' geriatric depression across many different measures. The autho rs review the recent literature of 'vascular depression' including outcome studies, poststroke depression, neuropsychological studies, and electroence phalographic studies. Some suggestions for future areas of study are forwar ded. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.