If an elderly person's memory declines, does this always indicate dementia? Do gross impairments of memory, attention, thinking and speech always mean neurodegenerative changes in the brain? Let's figure it out! Lately you have noticed: - grandmother has become less attentive; she forgets what she was told an hour ago. Feels unsure when naming recent events; - thinking is disrupted... This situation is a reason to be alarmed! But these signs do not necessarily indicate the development of dementia in a loved one. Pay attention to the following symptoms: - bad mood, irritability, apathy. Moreover, in the morning the mood is worse than in the afternoon or evening; - sleep disturbances - restless sleep, frequent awakenings, difficulty falling asleep; - an elderly person does not leave the apartment. Loses interest in activities that he previously enjoyed. Reduces the circle of contacts; - believes that he is interfering with his family. Complains that children and grandchildren are deprived of attention. Sometimes complaints about poor health are added. Grandmother feels pain in the heart area. Blood pressure increases. The functioning of the digestive tract is disrupted. Headaches are debilitating. Another dangerous disease has the same characteristics - depressive pseudodementia. This is a reactive state that is accompanied by a deliberate intellectual decline. It arises as a result of psychotraumatic influences. Unlike true dementia, it is caused not by organic, but by functional disorders. Good news: It can be cured if diagnosed in time and prescribed therapy. The following table will help to distinguish between these two syndromes: (based on materials from clinical psychologists, coordinators of the program “Center for Memory and Health” Krasnopolskaya N.A. and Romashova T.V.) Differential diagnosis is carried out by a psychiatrist. If the diagnosis of depressive pseudodementia is confirmed, sedatives or antidepressants will be prescribed. It is useful to undergo psychotherapy. Physiotherapeutic procedures are often additionally prescribed. The earlier the disease is recognized, the more optimistic the prognosis will be. After all, depression in old age leads to true dementia. Health to your elderly loved ones!