Complications (1)
- Alzheimer's: Managing sleep problems
Coping and support (3)
- Caregiving: Tips for long-distance caregivers
- Caregiver stress: Tips for taking care of yourself
- Alzheimer's: Planning for the holidays
Definition (1)
- Early-onset Alzheimer's: When symptoms begin before 65
Prevention (1)
- Home safety tips: Preparing for Alzheimer's caregiving
Risk factors (2)
- Diabetes and Alzheimer's linked
- Alzheimer's genes: Are you at risk?
Symptoms (3)
- Memory loss: When to seek help
- Alzheimer's stages: How the disease progresses
- Alzheimer's or depression: Could it be both?
Tests and diagnosis (4)
- Diagnosing Alzheimer's: An interview with a Mayo Clinic specialist
- Sharing Alzheimer's diagnosis: Tips for caregivers
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- see all in Tests and diagnosis
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Alzheimer's: 7 tips for medical visits
- Alzheimer's: Drugs help manage symptoms
- Alzheimer's treatments: What's on the horizon?
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continued:
Alzheimer's or depression: Could it be both?
Alzheimer's disease with depression is different
People with Alzheimer's may experience depression differently from that of people without Alzheimer's. For example, individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease:
- May have symptoms of depression that are less severe
- May experience episodes of depression that don't last as long or recur as often
- Talk of suicide and attempt suicide less often
Scientists aren't sure of the exact relationship between Alzheimer's disease and depression. Some research has found that the biological changes caused by Alzheimer's may intensify genetic predisposition to depression. Other studies suggest that the presence of depression may increase your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.
It's clear that depression has a strong effect on quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease. Depression can lead to:
- Faster cognitive decline
- Earlier placement in nursing homes
- Greater disability involving daily living skills
- Increased dependence on caregivers
Treatment options
Several options are available to treat people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and depression:
- Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — for example, citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft) — are the first line antidepressants used for people who have depression and Alzheimer's because of the low risk of side effects and drug interactions. Other antidepressants, such as venlafaxine (Effexor, Effexor XR) or bupropion (Wellbutrin), also may be used.
- Physical exercise. Regular physical exercise, particularly in the morning, seems to ease the symptoms of depression.
- Support groups and counseling. Support groups and professional counseling may help people with depression in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, before their communication skills deteriorate.
- Electroconvulsive therapy. Some people with depression and dementia don't respond to other treatments. In many of these cases, electroconvulsive therapy can help relieve symptoms of severe depression. The procedure delivers electricity to the brain for a few seconds, to trigger a seizure. Electroconvulsive therapy is used more frequently for older people than for younger people — perhaps because older people may have more side effects from antidepressants or have more severe complications from severe depression.
Making the right diagnosis and getting appropriate treatment can help make life easier and more enjoyable for both the person with Alzheimer's and his or her caregivers.
Previous page(2 of 2)
- Press D, et al. Treatment of behavioral symptoms related to dementia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan 12, 2010.
- Depression and Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's Association. http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_depression.asp. Accessed Jan 12, 2010.
- Espinoza RT, et al. Diagnosis and management of late-life depression. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan 19, 2010.
- Burns A, et al. Alzheimer's disease. British Medial Journal. 2009;338:467.
- Starkstein SE, et al. Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Phenomenology, clinical correlates and treatment. International Review of Psychiatry. 2008;20:382.
- Olin JT, et al. Provisional diagnostic criteria for depression of Alzheimer disease. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2002;10:125.
- Serretti A, et al. Genetics of Alzheimer's disease. A rapidly evolving field. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2007;12:73.
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