Correlational Study of Depression and Anxiety in Dementia: A Clinical Review

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome where there is deterioration in cognitive function due to the usual consequences of biological ageing. This study is designed to assess the level of depression and anxiety in elderly dementia patient and to find out the correlation between Anxiety and depression in elderly dementia patients. The patients who were under the treatment of GNRC hospital, North Guwahati, age group between 50-80 years were selected for the study. A total of 15 elderly people with dementia and 15 elderly people without dementia were included. Purposive sampling technique and a correlational research design were selected. A self-made Socio-demographic data sheet, Hamilton depression rating scale and Hamilton anxiety rating scales were introduced. The results showed that there was a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among dementia patients. This study results suggested that prior anxiety is associated with a diagnosis of Dementia and prior depression is associated with same, after adjustment for other risk factors. Anxiety and depression as risk factors may play different roles in Dementia. Differences between frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease in modifiable risk factors should be considered in future research, which requires a longitudinal design with long follow-up periods to clarify the consistency of earlier findings on modifiable frontotemporal dementia risk factors. Further research should also analyze genetic data to separate genetic and sporadic cases of dementia, providing further enlightenment of the possible relationships between modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for dementia.