Differential diagnosis between dementia and depressive pseudodementia
| Features | Dementia | Depressive pseudodementia |
| Onset | Insidious | Sudden (may recall the exact time of symptoms onset) |
| Evolution | Slow | Fast |
| Psychiatric history | Negative | May be positive |
| Awareness | Reduced or absent | Preserved |
| Functional deficits | Patient may deny or minimise | Patient may emphasise |
| Mood | Incongruous or fluctuating | Depressed |
| Neuropsychological tests | Worsens on repeated testing | Improves or stable on repeated testing |
| Instrumental tests | MR scan, positron emission tomography scan or biomarkers positive | Negative |
| Effect of treatment | No change with antidepressants | May improve on antidepressants |