Depresión vasculardel concepto a la práctica clínica. Un caso clínico

Abstract

Growing evidences support that there may be a subtype of late onset depression, vascular depression, in association with vascular risk factors and a distinctive neuroimaging showing hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences of the brain. The present study reports the case of a 63-year-old woman with major depression disorder showing motor retardation and mild cognitive impairment. Symptoms were resistant to the use of several neuropharmacological options. Neuroimaging showed periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities on MRI and a decrease of cerebral blood flow in the left frontal-parietal area on SPECT. Considering family and personal history, present illness and neuroimaging we suggest a diagnosis compatible with the concept of vascular depression which predicts poor outcome and leads to the need of vigorous treatment.