Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging and endocrinological differences between delusional and non-delusional depression in the elderly

Abstract

Objective. To investigate neuroradiological, endocrinological and clinical differences between delusional and non-delusional depression. Design. A cross-sectional study of depressed subjects. Selling. Melbourne, Australia. Participants. Sixty-one subjects (inpatients) over the age of 55 meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depression of whom 22 had delusional subtype of depression. Measures. Clinical assessment, including documentation of vascular risk factors. Cognitive assessment by the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed on a 0.3 Tesla scanner with temporal lobe atrophy, periventricular lesions (PVL) and deep white matter lesions..