Differentiation Between Alzheimer̓s Disease and Old Age Depression: Overview and Conception of a Questionnaire for Relatives

Abstract

Differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and major depression in the elderly is difficult because of overlapping and similar symptoms. A questionnaire for relatives may facilitate the diagnostic burden in clinical practice. Based on a selection of clinical criteria, an expert survey, and statistical analysis of the expert survey, a questionnaire for relatives was designed. 18 out of 48 suggested clinical criteria were assessed by neuropsychologists as suitable for the differential diagnosis and were summarized in a questionnaire for relatives (ADAD). First results of the validation of the questionnaire gave an indication of the suitability of the clinical criteria. The ADAD questionnaire could be simply implemented in clinical practice to differentiate between symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and major depression, but it needs to be evaluated in a larger group of patients.