AAGP (American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry)

DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)

Depression

Depression is a common medical condition with very specific symptoms. The symptoms of depression, as with any other illness, may differ from person to person. Not everyone will have all the same symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression
The term depression refers to:

  • a persistent sad mood and/or
  • loss of interest or pleasure in most activities
And is accompanied by some of the following symptoms:
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Restlessness or decreased activity that is noticeable to others
  • Loss of energy or feeling tired all the time
  • Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions
  • Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

For a doctor to make a diagnosis of depression, these symptoms must have lasted at least 2 weeks, and be troublesome enough to cause a person distress or interfere with work, social life, or daily functioning. You should see your doctor to find out the possible cause of these symptoms.

Study Recruitment

The Conte Center is currently recruiting both depressed patients and non-depressed controls to be part of our studies.

Patients
        1. 60 or older

        2. Currently diagnosed with major depression (by DSM-IV standards)

        3. Willing and able (no metallic contraindications) to have a brain MRI

        4. Have never had a stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, or any other
           serious neurological or psychiatric diagnosis.

        5. Do not have current drug or alcohol abuse.

        6. MMSE score of 25 or above at baseline.

Controls
        1. 60 or older

        2. Never been diagnosed with depression or treated for any psychiatric illness.

        3. Willing and able (no metallic contraindications) to have a brain MRI

        4. Have never had a stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, or any other serious
           neurological or psychiatric diagnosis.

        5. Do not have current drug or alcohol abuse.

        6. MMSE score of 25 or above at baseline.

If you are interested in enrolling in the Conte Center or have any questions about it, please call Ms. Carrie Dombeck at 684-4123.

 

Revised: March 17, 2008

DISCLAIMER
You have entered a web site that describes an NIMH-funded collaborative study on the neurobiological mechanism of depression. If you are seeking immediate help for treatment of depression, we recommend that you contact your clinician or your nearest emergency room. This web site is not set up to provide help or advice to individuals about their depression, nor to family members or friends of individuals with depression. This web site is created for the purposes of providing background information about the study and having researchers provide input to the design. If you are interested in getting general information about depression, you can visit the following web site: www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depressionmenu.cfm