Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.700

THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN DEMENTIA SYNDROME

Sanja Tomasović ; Department of Neurology, University Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia ; Medical School Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Josip Sremec ; Department of Neurology, University Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia
Jelena Košćak Lukač ; Department of Neurology, University Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia
Marija Sedlić ; Department of Neurology, University Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia
Nataša Klepac ; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Medical School University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Background: It is estimated that up to 90% of patients with dementia are affected by behavioral and psychiatric symptoms
during the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression in dementia and mild cognitive
impairment (MCI), the use of benzodiazepines and antidepressants among them and the impact of former education on their
cognitive decline.
Subjects and methods: In the study we have enrolled 100 patients with clinical diagnoses of either MCI or dementia, as was
established by a single cognitive neurology subspecialist. All patients were assessed during their regular outpatient follow-ups in the
University Clinical Center Zagreb, Croatia, in the period between November 2019 and March 2020. Using the patients’ medical
history the demographic data, disease characteristics, history of other diseases, use of medications, Mini-Mental State Examination
(MMSE) and the data on radiological brain examinations were obtained. The statistical tests were used depending on the
distribution of variables.
Results: In total, there were 34 patients diagnosed with dementia and 66 diagnosed with MCI. The diagnosis of depression
before the onset of dementia or MCI was established in 11% and it has developed in further 20% after cognitive deterioration, which
represents an increase of 81.81%. The total prevalence of depression in the study group is thus 31%.The proportion of patients
taking benzodiazepines was 26% and antidepressants 17%.The MMSE scores were significantly lower in patients with Alzheimer’s
disease than in patients with vascular MCI or dementia. Generally, MMSE values correlated significantly with the duration of
education.
Conclusions: Depression is a frequent accompanying disease of dementia that aggravates already complex clinical picture and
greatly diminishes the quality of life of the patient. It is important to monitor changes in a patient’s cognitive decline and presence of
psychiatric symptoms in order to give medical professionals a better chance to alleviate the complex issues that arise during the
management of this specter of diseases.

Keywords

dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; mild cognitive impairment; depression

Hrčak ID:

291846

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/291846

Publication date:

22.12.2022.

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