Pseudodementia.

Abstract

The term pseudodementia is applied to the range of functional psychiatric conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and hysteria that may mimic organic dementia, but are essentially reversible on treatment. Depression is the commonest cause of pseudodementia in the elderly and is also the commonest treatable condition misdiagnosed as dementia. Diagnosis and management of depressive pseudodementia are discussed, and the systematic and thorough treatment of the depression is emphasized. Issues such as the diagnosis of early dementia, mental stress in the elderly resulting in confusion, patients with nonprogressive intellectual or neurological deficits, patients with a diagnosis of mixed depression and dementia, and depression as a precursor of dementia are all briefly considered.