[Differentiating early dementia from major depression with the Spanish version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination].
BACKGROUND
In clinical practice it is often difficult to establish whether cognitive impairment is secondary to an affective disorder or a dementing process.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the cognitive performance on the Spanish version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) of patients with early dementia and depression.


METHODS
77 patients with early dementia (53 Alzheimer disease; 24 frontotemporal dementia), 17 patients with major depression and 54 healthy volunteers were tested with the Spanish version of the ACE.


RESULTS
Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal dementia groups were significantly lower than the control group and the major depression group. When the major depression group was compared with the control group no significant differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
The cognitive performance in the ACE is different in patients with early dementia and patient with depression.
Roca
M
M
Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Torralva
T
T
López
P
P
Marengo
J
J
Cetkovich
M
M
Manes
F
F
D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests