Don't forget me: Pseudodementia associated with depression

Abstract

Pseudodementia is understood as a clinical state, which occurs in the background of psychiatric disorders and mimics dementia. These patients are often diagnosed and treated as dementia, while the underlying disorder remains unrecognized and untreated. In this report, we discuss a patient suffering from depressive pseudodementia, who was previously treated as suffering from dementia. Management of depression with venlafaxine and electroconvulsive therapy was associated with significant improvement in functioning and behavior.