Pick's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease

Dear Ask The Doctor: My father has picks disease he started to show signs in his early fifties and is now in a care home at 64 he no longer communicates and is in decline, my paternal grandmother also had early AD though it didn't become very severe until her mid seventies. I suffer from clinical depression and have been on anti depressants for almost 20 years. My question is , does this show a predisposition for AD, and is there any kind of genetic test I can have to see if I have inherited the gene for picks? I am a single mum in my forties and starting to become worried that I may become a burden to my son. lee

Dear Lisa: It is not totally understood the hereditary factor in both Pick and Alzheimer diseases, both are result of build-up of certain type of proteins in brain areas, the difference is that Pick involves personality changes and declining in basic functions and Alzheimer's is the memory loss the predominant and early symptom. Unfortunately, there are no definitive or conclusive tests to diagnose both diseases, currently the best method is based in the careful symptomatic clinical evaluation together with brain scans and EEG. Alzheimer or Pick can only be conclusive determined by a post-mortem exam of the brain. These two types of dementias may be similar but anyway they can be differentiated by some symptoms like: onset before 35 years old, personality changes, lack of inhibition, loss of normal controls, all of these lead toward Pick’s disease. Now, regarding your question about depression and Alzheimer, experts estimate that roughly 40% of people with Alzheimer’s suffer from significant depression, these two are linked but it is not totally clear whether depression is a risk factor or a symptom of the disease. On the other hand some Neurology research studies suggest that depressive symptoms can raise the risk of dementia, because there are structural changes associated with depression in the brain of depressed individuals and by the time that they reach old age they are more vulnerable to develop dementia. So, depression may be a risk factor for Alzheimer, also family history and lifestyle factors like diet, exercise may contribute too. I recommend you exercise regularly and consistently, a healthy diet, avoid smoking and alcohol , and practice relaxation techniques to keep stress under control.