Dementia, depression, or grief? The differential diagnosis.
Depression, grief, and dementia are conditions frequently encountered among the community-living elderly. This review offers a primary care perspective of the distinguishing features for each and discusses the special issues of managing the elderly. Major depression in the elderly usually responds to antidepressant medication, whether the depression occurs alone (endogenous) or as a response to another condition (reactive).
Brock
C
C
Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina.
Simpson
W M
WM
D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role