title: Anosognosia and depression in patients with Alzheimer's dementia.
abstract: Anosognosia refers to impaired awareness of patients to realize deficits related to a disorder and is a common symptom of dementia. Anosognosia has far-reaching consequences for diagnosis and treatment and is probably associated with unfavorable prognosis. This study examined the relationship between anosognosia and depression in patients with Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Assessment included interviews of patients and their caregivers. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with observer and self-rating instruments: the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the "mood" subscale of the Nurses Observation Scale for geriatric patients (NOSGER). Anosognosia was evaluated with the Anosognosia Questionnaire for Dementia (AQ-D). For the evaluation of behavioral and neuropsychological symptoms in dementia and the caregiver burden, the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) and the Cares of older People in Europe (COPE) Index were administered. A total of 47 patients were enrolled in the study at the department's geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic. A considerable discrepancy was found between observer- and self-ratings of depressive symptoms. In 74.5% of the participants, caregiver ratings indicated secondary symptoms of depression as opposed to patient ratings. Thus, in AD, anosognosia may affect not only deficits in cognition and everyday functioning but also affective symptoms ("affective anosognosia"). Caregiver rating therefore is particularly important when assessing mood changes in AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Bergische Landstr. 2, 40629 Düsseldorf, Germany. sandra.verhuelsdonk@lvr.de
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhülsdonk
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quack
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Höft
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange-Asschenfeldt
authors.forename: Tillmann
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Supprian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000377:Agnosia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Anosognosia; Depressive disorders in dementia; Unawareness