title: Diagnostic applications of sleep deprivation.
abstract: Four cases are described in which observation of the response to forty hour sleep deprivation was used in resolving the differential diagnosis between depression and dementia. In each case it was possible to conduct psychometric assessment of cognitive ability during the period of improvement of the clinical state. The utility of this approach and some of the difficulties associated with its use are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012892:Sleep Deprivation; D014888:Wechsler Scales