title: Brain computed tomography findings in geriatric depression and primary degenerative dementia.
abstract: Brain computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in hospitalized geriatric patients with major depression (n = 45) or primary degenerative dementia (n = 21). Depressed patients with onset of illness at age 60 years or older (n = 32) had greater ventricular size than geriatric depressives with earlier age of illness onset (n = 13). CT parameters of late-onset depressives were comparable to those of patients with primary degenerative dementia. However, early-onset geriatric depressives had significantly smaller ventricles and less sulcal widening than demented patients. The findings suggest that late-onset depression may have a stronger association with neurological dementing disorders than early-onset depression.
authors.affiliation: Cornell University Medical College, White Plains, New York.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Shindledecker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents