J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1990; 2:59-63
Copyright © 1990 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Confrontation naming deficit in dementia of depression
L Speedie, P Rabins, G Pearlson and P Moberg
Department of Neurogeriatrics, Ezrath Nashim Hospital, Givat Shaul, Jerusalem.
Unlike patients with irreversible dementia, elderly depressed patients with
cognitive impairment are thought to have relatively preserved recognition,
memory, and language abilities. To test this hypothesis, the authors
compared memory and naming performance in elderly hospitalized patients
with major depression alone, reversible dementia of depression, or
irreversible dementia. All patient groups performed worse than nondemented,
nondepressed control subjects on memory tasks. Patients with dementia of
depression performed worse than depressed patients with normal cognition on
tests of free recall, delayed recall, and verbal delayed memory but not on
tests of delayed visual memory. Patients with dementia of depression and
patients with irreversible dementia were severely compromised in both speed
and accuracy on the confrontation naming task.
