DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION OR VERY MILD ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE USING THE DELAYED-WORD-RECALL TEST

The present study investigated the accuracy of an extended version of the Delayed Word Recall (DWR) test in distinguishing patients with ver y mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Mini Mental State Examination score 1 23) from community-dwelling depressed/dysthymic patients. The DWR test was administered to 26 non-depressed patients who, at the time of DWR administration or on follow-up, fulfilled NINCDS/ADRDA criteria for p robable AD, and to 20 age-matched non-dementing patients with a diagno sis of major depression (n = 12) or dysthymia (n = 8) according to DSM -III-R criteria. Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 96 an d 100% for DWR free recall, and 92 and 100% for DWR recognition. In th is study both DWR free recall and recognition measures were highly sen sitive and specific in distinguishing very-mild-AD patients from depre ssed/dysthymic patients. The investigation of more severely depressed patients is warranted.