| DD of Pseudodementia &
Dementia |
|
Pseudodementia |
Dementia |
| Clinical Course |
| Family aware of dysfunction |
aware |
unaware |
| Onset of symptoms |
can be dated |
hard to be exact |
| Seek medical help |
early |
late |
| Progression of symptoms |
rapid |
insidious |
| History of psychiatric dysfunction |
common |
unusual |
| Complaints &
Clinical Behaviors |
| Patient's complaint |
describe deficit in detail |
complains little, try to conceal deficit |
| Attitude |
Emphasize disability, highlight failures |
Shows delight in accomplishments |
| Effort |
Make little effort to perform even simple tasks |
Struggle to perform tasks. Rely on notes,
calendars to keep up |
| Concern about deficit |
very concerned |
appear unconcerned |
| Social Skills |
Loss prominent and early on |
Social skills retained |
| Nocturnal accentuation of dysfunction |
uncommon |
common |
| Clinical features |
| Attention & concentration |
often well preserved
|
Faulty |
| Response to questions |
"Don't know" answers typical |
Frequently provide near miss answers |
| Memory loss |
Memory gaps for specific periods |
loss of recent events more severe than remote
events |
| Performance on tasks of similar difficulty |
Marked variability |
Consistently poor performance |
