No abstract

Depression associates with increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), although it is unclear whether it represents an actual risk factor or a prodrome. To determine the relative hazard of premorbid depressive symptomatology for development of dementia and AD, we studied risk for incident dementia and AD over a 14-year period in 1,357 community-dwelling men and women participating in the 40-year prospective Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Screening for depressive symptoms, comprehensive medical and neuropsychological evaluations were prospectively collected every 2 years. Time-dependent proportional hazards of development of AD or dementia were calculated separately for men and women, with symptoms of depression detected at 2-, 4-, and 6-year intervals before onset of dementia symptoms. Vascular risk factors were analyzed as covariates. Premorbid depressive symptoms significantly increased risk for dementia, particularly AD in men but not in women. Hazard ratios were approximately two times greater than for individuals without history of depressive symptoms, an effect independent of vascular disease. We conclude that the impact of depressive symptoms on risk for dementia and AD may vary with sex. Further studies assessing separately the role of depression as a risk factor in men and women are necessary.

No abstract

Certain "repetitive" activities may not represent core features of autistic disorder and may be equivalent to normal motor and cognitive behaviors, as seen during typical development.

Scattered reports propose that pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) are risk factors for criminal behavior, yet the association between PDD and delinquent behavior is untrue for the majority of patients. However, individuals with PDDs may be at risk for legal trouble in the presence of comorbid psychopathology, and not solely on the basis of their developmental disability. This article analyzes theoretically the relationship between complex developmental disorders and delinquency with the hypothesis that the delinquent behaviors reported in it resulted from comorbid psychopathology and not as a direct consequence of a developmental disorder. A small series of patients diagnosed with a PDD and comorbid psychiatric illnesses whose admission to the hospital was precipitated by delinquent behavior is presented.