Depressive Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease: An Examination Among Community-Dwelling Cuban American Patients

The authors examined the prevalence and clinical correlates of mood disturbance in 96 Cuban American (CA) Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Depression (Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia score ≥7) was evident in 39.6% of the participants and showed associations with comorbid psychosis, lower education, and decreased length of residence in the United States, a measure of acculturation. Mood disturbance was not related to age, gender, marital status, cognitive dysfunction, functional impairment, history of significant alcohol use, or coexisting medical conditions. The results of this investigation suggest that signs and symptoms of depression are common neuropsychiatric disturbances in CA AD patients residing in the community.