Clinical application of operationalized criteria for 'Depression of Alzheimer's Disease'.
OBJECTIVE
'Depression of Alzheimer's Disease' (dAD) is a common complication of Alzheimer's disease and is increasingly recognized as a syndrome with a clinical presentation differing from major depression. Criteria for the diagnosis of dAD have been proposed previously.


METHODS
This paper presents these criteria in operationalized format designed to be accessible for clinical use. Four cases are discussed that demonstrate the use of these criteria and illustrate important differences between dAD and major depression.


RESULTS
The dAD criteria are broader than DSM-IV criteria for Major Depressive Episode and incorporate caregiver input.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the differences between dAD and major depression diagnoses, it is important to assess the efficacy of treatments for dAD. Depression in Alzheimer's Disease-2 (DIADS-2) is a controlled trial of dAD treatments that will also assess the validity of these criteria.
Rosenberg
Paul B
PB
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. prosenb9@jhmi.edu
Onyike
Chiadi U
CU
Katz
Ira R
IR
Porsteinsson
Anton P
AP
Mintzer
Jacobo E
JE
Schneider
Lon S
LS
Rabins
Peter V
PV
Meinert
Curtis L
CL
Martin
Barbara K
BK
Lyketsos
Constantine G
CG
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation