Is there such a thing as psychological dementia?
A fellow caregiver asked...
Can there be psychological dementia? It is difficult to find out particular behavior is due to psychological reasons or due to vascular dementia.If somebody can throw more light on that aspect.
Expert Answer
Helene Bergman, LMSW, is a certified geriatric care manager (C-ASWCM) and owner of Elder Care Alternatives, a professional geriatric care management business in New York City. She consults with nursing homes and daycare programs to develop specialized programs for Alzheimer's patients.
There is a diagnosis called 'pseudo-dementia' and this refers to a dementia that is more 'psychological' rather than neurological. Symptoms may mimic 'dementia' (like memory loss, disorientation) or even be 'psychotic' (delusions, hallucinations) but thorough evaluation (including battery of tests for depression) can give a differential diagnosis. The primary difference is that with appropriate treatment (pharmacological and therapy), pseudo-dementia can resolve.