For each of 41 index patients with probable Alzheimer's disease and a
first episode of major depression and 71 nondepressed Alzheimer's disease
patients, two first-degree relatives were interviewed by a rater blind to
presence or absence of depression in the proband. The depressed patients
had significantly more first- and second-degree relatives with depression
than did control subjects. The lifetime risk for major depression, adjusted
for differences in age distribution, was significantly greater in
first-degree relatives of index patients, suggesting that depression in
Alzheimer's disease is genetically related to primary affective disorder.
Alzheimer's disease may be useful for studying aspects of depressive
pathophysiology.Abstract Teaser