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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
Depression in vascular dementia is quantitatively and qualitatively different from depression in Alzheimer's disease
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggido, Korea.
Background/Aims:
To compare the prevalence and characteristics of depression in vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) after adjusting for dementia severity and gender.
Methods:
One hundred and eight pairs of VaD and AD patients matched for dementia severity and gender were assessed.
Results:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) was more prevalent in the VaD group than in the AD group (20.4% in VaD, 10.2% in AD, p = 0.04, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel, CMH, test) regardless of the dementia severity and gender. The odds ratio for developing MDD in the VaD group versus the AD group was estimated to be 2.20 (95% confidence interval = 1.02-4.74). Neurovegetative symptoms such as 'felt tired and weak all the time' (30.6% in VaD, 13.9% in AD, p = 0.003, CMH test) and 'changed weight without trying' (16.7% in VaD, 6.5% in AD, p = 0.02, CMH test) were more prevalent in the VaD group than in the AD group.
Conclusion:
Depression in VaD was quantitatively and qualitatively different from that in AD regardless of the severity of dementia and gender; depression was more prevalent, severer and more retarded and vegetative in VaD than in AD.
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