Objective To compare the depressive symptoms between patients with subcortical ischemic depression and patients with subcortical ischemic dementia.Methods According to the diagnostic standards of depression and dementia, 17 items-Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HRSD) and Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE), 70 patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease were divided into 4 groups such as without depression or dementia(29), with depression(19), with dementia(12), as well as with depression and dementia(10). Their prevalence of different depressive symptoms and cluster of items of Hamilton Depression Rating Score were assessed and compared each other with HRSD.Results Four groups of patients had no significant differences in age, gender, socio-economic factors, and vascular risk factors. In depression group, the most common symptoms were the depressed mood(17 cases, 89.5%) ,mental anxiety(16 cases, 84.2%), physical anxiety(15 cases, 78.9%) and in patients with dementia ,were retardation(8 cases, 66.6% and 9 cases, 90.0%, respectively). Except sleeping disorders, the most serious symptoms in depression group were anxiety/somatization[0.8(0.2, 2)] and in patients with dementia were retardation[1(0.3, 1.8) and 1.1(0.3, 2)] . The symptoms of depressed mood and anxiety/ somatization in patients with depression were more serious than patients with depression and dementia(P=0.026 and P<0.01).Conclusion There are some differences in the characteristics of emotional damage in patients with subcortical ischemic depression or subcortical ischemic dementia or their coexistence. Relatively, the mood disorders of subcortical ischemic depression were caused more by the classical depression, and the latter more prefer to subcortical ischemic pathological change.
