Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Literature Review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment

T2 - A Literature Review

AU - Martin, Evangelia

AU - Velayudhan, Latha

N1 - © 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PY - 2020/10/1

Y1 - 2020/10/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia have received much attention due to their high prevalence and their significant implications. NPS in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a clinical concept proposed as an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia, is now gradually gaining in interest. We aimed to conduct a selective review to examine the prevalence rate of NPS in MCI and associations of NPS symptoms with disease progression.SUMMARY: We searched the PubMed database for articles on NPS in MCI and included articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. NPS was present in 35-85% of MCI patients. The most common symptoms were depression, irritability, apathy, anxiety, agitation, and sleep problems. Although the associated risk for disease progression of some symptoms, such as apathy and anxiety, was more consistent across studies, evidence was conflicting for symptoms like depression and sleep problems. NPS tend to co-occur, and certain combinations of NPS had a mutual or cumulative effect on disease progression. Late-onset NPS, even in a mild form (mild behavioural impairment) were found to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, even in the absence of cognitive impairment. Key Messages: NPS are highly prevalent in MCI patients and associated with subsequent cognitive deterioration. Late-onset NPS should raise suspicions of neurodegeneration. Future studies with improvised methodology are required to understand the interrelations of NPS and the role they play in the prognosis for patients with MCI.

AB - BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia have received much attention due to their high prevalence and their significant implications. NPS in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a clinical concept proposed as an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia, is now gradually gaining in interest. We aimed to conduct a selective review to examine the prevalence rate of NPS in MCI and associations of NPS symptoms with disease progression.SUMMARY: We searched the PubMed database for articles on NPS in MCI and included articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. NPS was present in 35-85% of MCI patients. The most common symptoms were depression, irritability, apathy, anxiety, agitation, and sleep problems. Although the associated risk for disease progression of some symptoms, such as apathy and anxiety, was more consistent across studies, evidence was conflicting for symptoms like depression and sleep problems. NPS tend to co-occur, and certain combinations of NPS had a mutual or cumulative effect on disease progression. Late-onset NPS, even in a mild form (mild behavioural impairment) were found to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, even in the absence of cognitive impairment. Key Messages: NPS are highly prevalent in MCI patients and associated with subsequent cognitive deterioration. Late-onset NPS should raise suspicions of neurodegeneration. Future studies with improvised methodology are required to understand the interrelations of NPS and the role they play in the prognosis for patients with MCI.

KW - Dementia

KW - Mild behavioural impairment

KW - Mild cognitive impairment

KW - Neuropsychiatric symptoms

KW - Risk factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083672915&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1159/000507078

DO - 10.1159/000507078

M3 - Review article

C2 - 32289790

SN - 1420-8008

VL - 49

SP - 146

EP - 155

JO - Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders

JF - Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders

IS - 2

ER -