Estudio comparativo de la capacidad denominativa y la memoria episódica de los pacientes con demencia degenerativa / Comparative Study of the Word Capacity and Episodic Memory of Patients with Degenerative Dementia

RESUMEN Introducción: Aunque la ausencia de deterioro de la memoria se consideró entre los criterios diagnósticos para diferenciar la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) de la demencia frontotemporal variante conductual (DFTvC), la evidencia actual, en aumento, sería la un importante porcentaje de casos de DFTvC con déficits de la memoria episódica. El presente estudio se diseñó con el fin de comparar el perfil de desempeño de la capacidad denominativa y de la memoria episódica de los pacientes con EA y DFTvC. Métodos: Estudio transversal y analítico con grupo de control (n = 32). Se incluyó a 42 sujetos con probable EA y 22 con probable DFTvC, todos mayores de 60 años. Se utilizaron instrumentos del Uniform Data Set validados en español: Multilingual Naming Test (MINT), historia de Craft-21 y Figura compleja de Benson, entre otros. Resultados: Se observó un mayor promedio de edad entre los pacientes con EA. La capacidad denominativa fue mucho menor en los pacientes con DFTvC que en aquellos con EA, medida según el MINT y el coeficiente de denominación sustantivos/verbos. Todos los pacientes con DFTvC, el 73,81% de aquellos con EAy solo el 31,25% de los controles no lograron reconocer la Figura compleja de Benson. Todas las diferencias fueron estadísticamente significativas (p< 0,001). Resultados: Este estudio confirma el perfil amnésico de los pacientes con EA y revela la disminución de la capacidad denominativa de los pacientes con DFTvC, un área del lenguaje que se afecta típica y tempranamente con las funciones ejecutivas, según recientes hallazgos. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con EA rinden peor en las tareas de memoria episódica verbal y visual, mientras que los pacientes con DFTvC rinden peor en tareas de denominación. Estos hallazgos abren la posibilidad de explorar los mecanismos de participación prefrontal en la memoria episódica, típicamente atribuida al hipocampo.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Although the absence of memory impairment was considered among the Alzheimer's disease diagnostic criteria to differentiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Behavioural Variant of Frontotemporal dementia Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD), current and growingevidence indicates that a significant Neuropsychological assessment percentage of cases of bvFTD present with episodic memory deficits. In order to compare Memory the performance profile of the naming capacity and episodic memory in patients with AD and bvFTD the present study was designed. Methods: Cross-sectional and analytical study with control group (32 people). The study included 42 people with probable AD and 22 with probable bvFTD, all over 60 years old. Uniform Data Set instruments validated in Spanish were used: Multilingual Naming Test (MINT), Craft-21 history and Benson's complex figure, among others. Results: A higher average age was observed among the patients with AD. The naming capacity was much lower in patients with bvFTD compared to patients with AD, measured according to the MINT and the nouns/verbs naming coefficient. All patients with bvFTD, 73.81% of those with AD and only 31.25% of the control group failed to recognise Benson's complex figure. All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Results:This study confirms the amnesic profile of patients with AD and reveals the decrease in naming capacity in patients with bvFTD, an area of language that is typically affected early on with executive functions, according to recent findings. Conclusions: Patients with AD perform worse in verbal and visual episodic memory tasks, while patients with bvFTD perform worse in naming tasks. These findings open the possibility of exploring the mechanisms of prefrontal participation in episodic memory, typically attributed to the hippocampus.

Comparative study of the word capacity and episodic memory of patients with degenerative dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Although the absence of memory impairment was considered among the diagnostic criteria to differentiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Behavioural Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD), current and growing evidence indicates that a significant percentage of cases of bvFTD present with episodic memory deficits. In order to compare the performance profile of the naming capacity and episodic memory in patients with AD and bvFTD the present study was designed. METHODS: Cross-sectional and analytical study with control group (32 people). The study included 42 people with probable AD and 22 with probable bvFTD, all over 60 years old. Uniform Data Set instruments validated in Spanish were used: Multilingual Naming Test (MINT), Craft-21 history and Benson's complex figure, among others. RESULTS: A higher average age was observed among the patients with AD. The naming capacity was much lower in patients with bvFTD compared to patients with AD, measured according to the MINT and the nouns/verbs naming coefficient. All patients with bvFTD, 73.81% of those with AD and only 31.25% of the control group failed to recognise Benson's complex figure. All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). RESULTS: This study confirms the amnesic profile of patients with AD and reveals the decrease in naming capacity in patients with bvFTD, an area of ​​language that is typically affected early on with executive functions, according to recent findings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AD perform worse in verbal and visual episodic memory tasks, while patients with bvFTD perform worse in naming tasks. These findings open the possibility of exploring the mechanisms of prefrontal participation in episodic memory, typically attributed to the hippocampus.

Thyroid Dysfunction, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid Deficiencies Are Not Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Lima, Peru.

Background: Reversible etiologies of cognitive impairment are common and treatable, yet the majority of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia research in Latin America has focused on irreversible, neurodegenerative etiologies. Objective: We sought to determine if thyroid dysfunction and vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies are associated with cognitive disorders among older adults with memory complaints in Lima, Peru. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients who presented for cognitive evaluations to a multidisciplinary neurology clinic in Lima, Peru from January 2014 to February 2020. We included individuals aged ≥60 years, native Spanish-speakers, with at least a primary school educational level and a complete clinical assessment. Patients had either subjective cognitive decline (SCD), MCI, or dementia. One-way ANOVA and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: We included 720 patients (330 SCD, 154 MCI, and 236 dementia); the dementia group was significantly older [mean age SCD 69.7 ± 4.1, dementia 72.4 ± 3.7 (p = 0.000)] and had lower folate levels than SCD patients. The MCI group had higher free T3 levels compared with SCD patients. Those with lower TSH had greater dementia risk (OR = 2.91, 95%CI: 1.15-6.86) but not MCI risk in unadjusted models. B12 deficiency or borderline B12 deficiency was present in 34% of the dementia group, yet no clear correlation was seen between neuropsychological test results and B12 levels in our study. There was no association between MCI or dementia and thyroid hormone, B12 nor folate levels in adjusted models. Conclusion: Our findings do not support an association between metabolic and endocrine disorders and cognitive impairment in older Peruvians from Lima despite a high prevalence of B12 deficiency. Future work may determine if cognitive decline is associated with metabolic or endocrine changes in Latin America.

Comparative Study of the Word Capacity and Episodic Memory of Patients with Degenerative Dementia. / Estudio comparativo de la capacidad denominativa y la memoria episódica de los pacientes con demencia degenerativa.

INTRODUCTION: Although the absence of memory impairment was considered among the diagnostic criteria to differentiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Behavioural Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD), current and growing evidence indicates that a significant percentage of cases of bvFTD present with episodic memory deficits. In order to compare the performance profile of the naming capacity and episodic memory in patients with AD and bvFTD the present study was designed. METHODS: Cross-sectional and analytical study with control group (32 people). The study included 42 people with probable AD and 22 with probable bvFTD, all over 60 years old. Uniform Data Set instruments validated in Spanish were used: Multilingual Naming Test (MINT), Craft-21 history and Benson's complex figure, among others. RESULTS: A higher average age was observed among the patients with AD. The naming capacity was much lower in patients with bvFTD compared to patients with AD, measured according to the MINT and the nouns/verbs naming coefficient. All patients with bvFTD, 73.81% of those with AD and only 31.25% of the control group failed to recognise Benson's complex figure. All differences were statistically significant (p <0.001). RESULTS: This study confirms the amnesic profile of patients with AD and reveals the decrease in naming capacity in patients with bvFTD, an area of language that is typically affected early on with executive functions, according to recent findings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AD perform worse in verbal and visual episodic memory tasks, while patients with bvFTD perform worse in naming tasks. These findings open the possibility of exploring the mechanisms of prefrontal participation in episodic memory, typically attributed to the hippocampus.

Memory Alteration Test to Detect Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Alzheimer's Dementia in Population with Low Educational Level.

Background/Aims: Short tests to early detection of the cognitive impairment are necessary in primary care setting, particularly in populations with low educational level. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of Memory Alteration Test (M@T) to discriminate controls, patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and patients with early Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) in a sample of individuals with low level of education. Methods: Cross-sectional study to assess the performance of the M@T (study test), compared to the neuropsychological evaluation (gold standard test) scores in 247 elderly subjects with low education level from Lima-Peru. The cognitive evaluation included three sequential stages: (1) screening (to detect cases with cognitive impairment); (2) nosological diagnosis (to determinate specific disease); and (3) classification (to differentiate disease subtypes). The subjects with negative results for all stages were considered as cognitively normal (controls). The test performance was assessed by means of area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We calculated validity measures (sensitivity, specificity and correctly classified percentage), the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient), and concurrent validity (Pearson's ratio coefficient between the M@T and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores). Results: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 and Pearson's ratio coefficient was 0.79 (p < 0.01). The AUC of M@T to discriminate between early AD and aMCI was 99.60% (sensitivity = 100.00%, specificity = 97.53% and correctly classified = 98.41%) and to discriminate between aMCI and controls was 99.56% (sensitivity = 99.17%, specificity = 91.11%, and correctly classified = 96.99%). Conclusions: The M@T is a short test with a good performance to discriminate controls, aMCI and early AD in individuals with low level of education from urban settings.

Validación y precisión de la escala de deterioro global (GDS) para establecer severidad de demencia en una población de Lima / Validation and diagnostic accuracy of the global deterioration scale (GDS) to establish severity of dementia in a population of Lima

Resumen Objetivo : validar y evaluar el rendimiento de la Global Deteriorarion Scale (GDS) en una población que acude a una unidad especializada de Lima. Pacientes y métodos: investigación de tipo transversal con un diseño descriptivo comparativo. El estudio incluyó 215 individuos seleccionados de forma abierta, que acudieron a la unidad de diagnóstico de deterioro cognitivo y prevención de demencia. Se estudiaron tres grupos: 60 controles, 40 con diagnóstico de deterioro cognitivo leve y 115 con demencia. Los individuos fueron sometidos a evaluaciones sucesivas: cribado, diagnóstico y estadiaje de demencia y tipo de demencia. La validez y fiabilidad de la clasificación de severidad fue demostrada mediante la concordancia entre la medición del Global Deteriorarion Scale con el Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). El rendimiento de Global Deteriorarion Scale se valoró mediante la obtención de los valores de sensibilidad y especificidad. Resultados : los promedios de edad fueron de 69, 70, y 74 años para los controles, los pacientes con deterioro cognitivo leve y los pacientes con demencia, respectivamente. La Global Deteriorarion Scale tuvo una buena correlación con Clinical Dementia Rating (r de Spearman =0,97; P=0,0001). La sensibilidad de la escala para establecer estadio de demencia fue de 79 %, con especificidad del 100 % para cualquier categoría de demencia según los criterios diagnósticos estándares y según Clinical Dementia Rating. Conclusiones : se encontró una correlación casi perfecta entre Global Deteriorarion Scale y Clinical Dementia Rating; sin embargo, la Global Deteriorarion Scale presenta una sensibilidad moderada para establecer el estadio de demencia con respecto a Clinical Dementia Rating, mostrando además ser utilidad en el diagnóstico de deterioro cognitivo leve.

Abstract Objective: To validate and evaluate diagnostic accuracy of the Global Deteriorarion Scale (GDS) in a population of a specialized unit of Lima. Patients and Methods: This research is a comparative cross-sectional descriptive design. The study included 215 individuals selected openly, who attending in the diagnostic unit of cognitive impairment and dementia prevention. Three groups were studied: 60 controls, 40 individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 115 with dementia diagnosis. They were assessments in three phases: screening, diagnosis and staging of dementia, and type of dementia. The validity and reliability of the classification of severity was demonstrated by measuring the correlation between the GDS with the CDR (Clinical Dementia Rating). The diagnostic accuracy of GDS was evaluated by obtaining the values of sensitivity and specificity. Results: The average age was 69, 70, and 74 years for controls, patients with MCI and patients with dementia respectively. GDS had a good correlation with CDR (Spearman r = 0.97, P = 0.0001). The sensitivity of the GDS to set stage of dementia for any category of dementia was 79 % and specificity of 100 % according to standard diagnostic criteria and according to CDR. Conclusions: We demonstrated an almost perfect correlation between GDS and CDR, however GDS has a moderate sensitivity to set the stage dementia regarding CDR also proving to be useful in the diagnosis of MCI.

Rendimiento en pruebas cognitivas breves, de adultos mayores con demencia en estadios avanzados, residentes de una comunidad urbana de Lima, Perú / Performance of cognitive brief test in elderly patients with dementia in advanced stage living in an urban community of Lima, Peru

RESUMEN Objetivos. Evaluar el rendimiento de la prueba de dibujo de reloj en versión de Manos (PDR-M) y Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) en su versión peruana, para detectar demencia de cualquier tipo en adultos mayores residentes de una comunidad urbana de Lima, Perú. Materiales y métodos. Análisis secundario de base de datos, de tipo observacional, analítico y transversal; con diseño de prueba diagnóstica, teniendo como prueba estándar a las evaluaciones clínica y neuropsicológica en conjunto. Se evaluó el rendimiento de las pruebas individualmente, así como de forma combinada. Resultados. El rendimiento de MMSE para la evaluación de pacientes con demencia de cualquier tipo presentó sensibilidad de 64,1%, especificidad de 84,1%, VPP de 24,4%, VPN de 96,7%, LR (+) de 4,03 y LR (-) de 0,43. La PDR-M presentó sensibilidad de 89,3%, especificidad de 98,1%, VPP de 79,3%, VPN de 99,1%, LR (+) de 47,79 y LR (-) de 0,11. Cuando se aplicaron ambas pruebas, y al menos una de ellas fue positiva, presentaron sensibilidad de 98,1%, especificidad de 84,1%, VPP de 33,1%, VPN de 99,8%, LR (+) de 6,17 y LR (-) de 0,02. Al realizar el análisis, por separado, de demencia tipo alzhéimer y no alzhéimer, los valores de los parámetros no se diferencian sustancialmente de los obtenidos para demencias de cualquier tipo. Conclusiones. La combinación de MMSE y PDR-M demuestran un buen rendimiento para detectar demencia en estadios moderado y severo en población residente de una comunidad urbana de Lima.

ABSTRACT Objectives. Evaluate the performance of clock drawing test- Manos versión (PDR-M) and Mini Mental State Examination -Peruvian version (MMSE) to detect dementia in a sample based on urban community of Lima, Peru. Materials and methods. This study is a secondary analysis database, observational, analytical and cross-sectional, the gold standard was the clinical and the neuropsychological evaluations together. Performance testing individually and in combination were evaluated.. Data were obtained from prevalence study conducted in 2008 in Cercado de Lima. Results. MMSE performance for evaluation of patients with dementia of any kind showed sensitivity of 64,1%, specificity of 84,1%, PPV of 24.4%, NPV of 96.7%, PLR of 4,03 and NLR of 0,43. PDR-M showed sensitivity of 89,3%, specificity of 98,1%, PPV of 79.3%, NPV of 99.1%, PLR of 47,79 and NLR of 0,11. When both tests were applied, and at least one of them was positive, they showed sensitivity 98.1%, specificity 84.1%, PPV of 33.1%, NPV of 99.8%, PLR of 6,17 and NLR of 0,02. When performing separate analysis of Alzheimer-type dementia and non- Alzheimer dementia, the values of the parameters do not differ substantially from those obtained for dementia of any kind. Conclussions. The combination of MMSE and PDR-M show good discriminative ability to detect moderate and severe dementia in population living in urban community in Lima.

Pronóstico en cirugía de epilepsia: ¿puede influir la reserva cognitiva? / Prognosis in EpilepsyÆs surgery: Can Cognitive Reserve influence it?

Hasta un tercio de individuos diagnosticados de epilepsia continúan teniendo crisis a pesar del tratamiento antiepiléptico apropiado. Estos pacientes pueden ser referidos para evaluación pre-quirúrgica y la cirugía es considerada un tratamiento efectivo para epilepsia relacionada a localización refractaria. Los factores que predicen un mejor resultado de la cirugía son contradictorios, y las recomendaciones incluyen evaluación detallada del rendimiento cognitivo antes y después de la cirugía; sin embargo no se considera la evaluación de la reserva cognitiva (RC). La incorporación de un instrumento que valore la RC de los pacientes permitiría incrementar la fuerza predictiva de la evaluación neuropsicológica respecto al pronóstico post-quirúrgico y aportaría a la investigación de los factores neuroprotectores en aquellos pacientes con un perfil de rendimiento cognitivo post-quirúrgico superior a la etapa pre-quirúrgica, y además permitiría conocer cómo la actividad educacional, ocupacional, y de tiempo libre de los pacientes se ven afectadas por la epilepsia y su variación después de la cirugía.

Up to one-third of individuals diagnosed as having epilepsy continue to have seizures despite appropriate antiepileptic drug treatment. Patients with refractory localization-related epilepsy can be referred for presurgical evaluation, and resective surgery is considered an effective treatment for such cases. Predictive factors of a better outcome for epilepsyÆs surgery are contradictory, and recomendations include a detailed assessment of cognitive performance before and after surgery; this process, however does not consider the evaluation of Cognitive Reserve (CR). The use of an instrument that assesses the CR of patient-candidates would increase the predictive power of neuropsychological assessment regarding post-surgical prognosis and outcome; in turn, it could contribute to research of neuroprotective factors in patients with a superior pre- and post-surgical profile of cognitive performance, and also allow knowing how the patientÆs educational and occupational activity, and use of leisure time are affected by epilepsy and its post-surgical variations.

Predictive model for falling in Parkinson disease patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Falls are a common complication of advancing Parkinson's disease (PD). Although numerous risk factors are known, reliable predictors of future falls are still lacking. The aim of this study was to develop a multivariate model to predict falling in PD patients. METHODS: Prospective cohort with forty-nine PD patients. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate predictive performance of the purposed multivariate model. RESULTS: The median of PD duration and UPDRS-III score in the cohort was 6 years and 24 points, respectively. Falls occurred in 18 PD patients (30%). Predictive factors for falling identified by univariate analysis were age, PD duration, physical activity, and scores of UPDRS motor, FOG, ACE, IFS, PFAQ and GDS (p-value < 0.001), as well as fear of falling score (p-value = 0.04). The final multivariate model (PD duration, FOG, ACE, and physical activity) showed an AUC = 0.9282 (correctly classified = 89.83%; sensitivity = 92.68%; specificity = 83.33%). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that our multivariate model have a high performance to predict falling in a sample of PD patients.

[Performance of cognitive brief test in elderly patients with dementia in advanced stage living in an urban community of Lima, Peru]. / Rendimiento en pruebas cognitivas breves, de adultos mayores con demencia en estadios avanzados, residentes de una comunidad urbana de Lima, Perú.

OBJECTIVES.: Evaluate the performance of clock drawing test- Manos versión (PDR-M) and Mini Mental State Examination -Peruvian version (MMSE) to detect dementia in a sample based on urban community of Lima, Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS.: This study is a secondary analysis database, observational, analytical and cross-sectional, the gold standard was the clinical and the neuropsychological evaluations together. Performance testing individually and in combination were evaluated.. Data were obtained from prevalence study conducted in 2008 in Cercado de Lima. RESULTS.: MMSE performance for evaluation of patients with dementia of any kind showed sensitivity of 64,1%, specificity of 84,1%, PPV of 24.4%, NPV of 96.7%, PLR of 4,03 and NLR of 0,43. PDR-M showed sensitivity of 89,3%, specificity of 98,1%, PPV of 79.3%, NPV of 99.1%, PLR of 47,79 and NLR of 0,11. When both tests were applied, and at least one of them was positive, they showed sensitivity 98.1%, specificity 84.1%, PPV of 33.1%, NPV of 99.8%, PLR of 6,17 and NLR of 0,02. When performing separate analysis of Alzheimer-type dementia and non- Alzheimer dementia, the values of the parameters do not differ substantially from those obtained for dementia of any kind. CONCLUSSIONS.: The combination of MMSE and PDR-M show good discriminative ability to detect moderate and severe dementia in population living in urban community in Lima.

Utilidad de la batería ejecutiva y cognición social de INECO en la evaluación de funciones ejecutivas de una serie de pacientes peruanos con demencia fronto-temporal, variante conductual / Utility of the INECO's executive and social cognition battery in the evaluation of executive functions in Peruvians patients with behavioral variant fronto-temporal dementia

Los síntomas característicos de la demencia fronto-temporal, variante conductual reflejan disfunción del cortex prefrontal ventromedial, y no existe consenso respecto a las pruebas neuropsicológicas más sensibles y específicos para evaluarlos. Objetivos: El objetivo de este estudio fue detectar alteraciones específicas de funciones ejecutivas y de cognición social en pacientes con demencia fronto-temporal variante conductual. Material y Métodos: Evaluamos la batería ejecutiva y cognición social del Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva (INECO), la cual incluye pruebas de teoría de la mente (test de la mirada y test de metida de pata), tareas del hotel, tests de diligencias multiples-versión del hospital y el Iowa Gambling Test para toma de decisiones. Los pacientes fueron divididos en dos grupos según su desempeño en el Addenbrooke´s Cognitive Examination. Resultados: Pacientes del grupo de Addenbrooke´s Cognitive Examination Bajo mostró resultados significativamente menores, respecto a los controles en muchas de las tareas de la batería ejecutiva estándar y en la batería ejecutiva y cognición social de INECO. Pero, el grupo de Addenbrooke´s Cognitive Examination Alto no difirió de los controles en muchas de las tareas de la batería ejecutiva estándar, mientras que encontramos diferencias significativas en los pacientes con demencia fronto-temporal con Addenbrooke´s Cognitive Examination Alto y los controles en la mayoría de las tareas de la batería ejecutiva y cognición social. Conclusiones: La batería ejecutiva y cognición social de INECO es más sensible para detectar alteraciones ejecutivas y de cognición social en estadios precoces de demencia fronto-temporal, variante conductual que las tareas empleadas en la batería ejecutiva estándar...

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterized by early and substantial ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) dysfunction and there is no consensus regarding which tests are most sensitive and specific to assess it. Objectives: To detect specific executive and social cognitive deficits in patients with early behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Material and Methods: In this study we assessed with theINECO´s Executive and Social Cognition Battery, which included Theory of Mind tests (Mind in the Eyes, Faux Pas), the Hotel Task, Multiple Errands Task-hospital version and the Iowa Gambling Task for complex decision-making. Patients were divided into two groups according to their AddenbrookeÆs Cognitive Examination scores. Results: We found that low AddenbrookeÆs Cognitive Examination patients differed from controls onmost tasks of the standard battery and the Executive and Social Cognition Battery. But high AddenbrookeÆs Cognitive Examination patients did not differ from controls on most traditional neuropsychological tests, while significant differences were found between this high-functioning behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia group and controls on most measures of Executive and Social Cognition Battery. Conclusions: The INECO´s Executive and Social Cognition Battery used are more sensitive in detecting executive and social cognitive impairment deficits in early behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia than the classical cognitive measures...

Depresión en la tercera edad como factor de riesgo y su posible rol como pródromo de demencia / Depression and dementia in the mental health of old age

Depresión y demencia, sobre todo enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) son entidades críticas en la salud mental de la tercera edad. Ambas condiciones disminuyen la calidad de vida e incrementan el deterioro de actividades de vida diaria de individuos de la tercera edad. EA tiene pobre pronóstico al ser una enfermedad neurodegenerativa; mientras que la depresión es básicamente reversible. Los estudios de seguimiento longitudinal y de caso-control reportan una estrecha asociación entre depresión de inicio tardío y deterioro cognitivo progresivo, pues se ha demostrado riesgo de incremento en 2 a 5 veces para desarrollar demencia en pacientes con depresión de inicio tardío. Por otro lado, la depresión de inicio precoz ha demostrado en forma consistente ser también un factor de riesgo para demencia, y escasas probabilidades de ser pródromo de demencia.La naturaleza de la asociación (si depresión es un pródromo o consecuencia de demencia, o un factor de riesgo para desarrollar demencia) permanece aún sin ser esclarecida. Independiente de ello, las estrategias para tratar depresión podrían alterar el riesgo de desarrollar demencia.

Depression and dementia, in particular Alzheimer´s disease (AD) are critically important issues in the mental health of old age. Both conditions apparently reduce quality of life and increase the impairment of activities of daily living for elderly persons. AD usually shows poor prognosis owing to progressive neuronal degeneration, while depression is basically reversible. Longitudinal follow-up and case-control studies reported a strong association between late-onset depression and dementia, and therefore increased risk was observed in 2-5 times to develop dementia in patients with late-onset depression. Furthermore, early-onset depression have also consistenly demonstrated to be a risk factor for dementia and unlikely to be prodromal to dementia. The nature of this association (if depression is a prodrome or consequence of, or risk factor for dementia) remains unclear. Regardless of this, treatment strategies for depression could alter the risk of dementia.