Successful electroconvulsive therapy for major depression misdiagnosed as Alzheimer dementia

摘要

In older adults, depression may be phenotypically unconventional, masquerading as dementia among other somatic disguises. So-called "pseudodementia" has been recognized for decades, yet it is misdiag-nosed and inadequately treated. We present the successful use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) to treat D.W., a 61-year-old man with cognitive impairment misdiagnosed as Alzheimer dementia.