Confirmation of an association between family history of affective disorder and the depressive syndrome in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to replicate an earlier finding of a familial liability for depression in Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
The family histories of depression and dementia were compared in 28 patients experiencing a first episode of major depression after onset of Alzheimer's disease and 74 nondepressed patients with Alzheimer's disease.


RESULTS
Significantly more families of depressed dementia patients included depressed first-degree relatives. There was no difference between Alzheimer's disease patients with and without depression in the proportion of families with a history of dementia.


CONCLUSIONS
Major depression in Alzheimer's disease is associated with a familial liability for depression that is independent of any familial liability for dementia.
Strauss
M E
ME
Alzheimer Center, University Hospitals of Cleveland, OH USA. mes.3@po.cwru.edu
Ogrocki
P K
PK
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000453:epidemiology; D005190:Family; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D011336:Probability; D013577:Syndrome