Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depression associated with AD Lead Investigator: Yulin Chu Institution : James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center E-Mail : yulin.chu@va.gov Proposal ID : 326 Proposal Description: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depression associated with AD are two chronic and serious mental illnesses. A concurrent onset of depression and AD is evidenced, but their relation is unclear. Depression in AD is under-detected and undertreated. It is also common within the Veterans Affairs (VA) population. This project is designed as a pilot study in a geriatric psychiatric (Geri-Psych) outpatient clinic in VA to analyze clinical and pathological aspects of depression in AD patients with focus on the treatment of such depression. The subjects are 30 elderly veterans (65 years or old) carry diagnoses of depression and/or cognitive impairment ??? Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), AD, or other types of dementia. The treatment of depression in latelife is different than the traditional treatment and focuses on multi-approaches of patient-centered care, including psycho-pharmacology therapy, non-pharmacology supportive therapy, enhancing physical/brain excise, encourage social activity engagement, and healthy or special diet. The impact of the treatment to depression and cognitive- social functional declining is measured by standardized evaluation tools and analyzed to compare pre- and post-treatment of depression by Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Descriptive analyses of demographic and clinical variables in pre- vs. post-treatment of depression will be conducted. By designing and conducting this project, NPs play leader roles to change the current healthcare problems and deliver a safe, high quality, and low cost care to a vulnerable population - the elderly veterans with depression and AD.