Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 14:15:35
In reply to Re: mental illness vs dementia?? » B2chica, posted by SLS on April 18, 2009, at 6:26:18
I think they are finding (or at least exploring) connections between mental illness and Alzheimer's. I have had two grandparents with Alzheimer's, a mother with depression, a father with depression, a great-grandfather who committed suicide, and a sister with schizophrenia.
> > ok, so i'm thinking outloud and just curious, not paranoid.
> >
> > So how do i know i dont have early onset dementia instead of a mental illness? when many of the symptoms are the same. mood changes, memory issues, cognitive issues...etc.
>
> It has been my opinion, and I have argued for many years, that the word "dementia", which is a purely generic term, should be considered a feature of Major Depression Disorder. I have only encountered one piece of medical literature that did exactly this. Alzheimers Dementia is only one form of dementia. There are others. In fact, when depression occurs in the elderly, it is often mistaken for Alzheimers and is thus called "pseudodementia". For many people, it is the dementia of depression that limits them most when trying to function in society. Without being able to read, learn, and remember, it makes it difficult to remain employed or in school.
>
> Interestingly, most of these cognitive impairments all but disappear when someone is treated to remission. Even a partial treatment response can produce a significant improvement in dementia.
>
> Yes. You have noted the great overlap that exists between the dementia that is part of Alzheimers and the dementia that is part of depression. The thing that troubles me, though, is that the risk of developing Alzheimers Dementia seems to be higher for people who have suffered Major Depressive Disorder. I imagine that the same association exists for Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Schizoaffective Disorder. This is just one more reason for why it makes sense to treat these illnesses as early and as aggressively as possible.
>
> You don't have Alzheimers. There are psychometric exams that can discern between early Alzheimers and depression. You would have deteriorated quite a bit by now should you have had Alzheimers. For instance, you would forget names of family and common objects, get lost in familiar places, and having difficulty performing previously routine tasks.
>
> Not to worry.
>
>
> - Scott
>
poster:Amelia_in_StPaul
thread:891239
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090416/msgs/891609.html