Prevalence and implications of psychopathological non-cognitive symptoms in dementia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prevalence and implications of psychopathological non-cognitive symptoms in dementia

AU - Saz, P.

AU - Lopez-Anton, R.

AU - Dewey, M. E.

AU - Ventura, T.

AU - Martin, A.

AU - Marcos, G.

AU - De La Camara, C.

AU - Quintanilla, M. A.

AU - Quetglas, B.

AU - Bel, M.

AU - Barrera, A.

AU - Lobo, A.

PY - 2009/2

Y1 - 2009/2

N2 - Clinical experience and recent population studies suggest that psychopathological, non-cognitive symptoms are both frequent and relevant in dementia. A representative community sample (n = 4,803 individuals, 55 + years) was interviewed in a two-phase design. The Geriatric Mental Sate (GMS) was used for assessment and cases were diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. The prevalence of non-cognitive symptoms (1 + symptoms) in cases of dementia (n = 223) was 90.1%, and negative-type symptoms were most frequently found. A GMS 'apathy-related symptom cluster' (anergia, restriction of activities and anhedonia) was significantly more frequent in the demented (55.6%) than in non-cases (0.7%; specificity = 99.2%). In both dementia of Alzheimer's type and vascular dementia, number of symptoms tended to be inversely related to severity of dementia, but psychopathological profiles differed. Non-cognitive, negative-type symptoms are very frequent in cases of dementia living in the community. They have powerful specificity in the distinction with non-cases, and might change current concepts of dementia.

AB - Clinical experience and recent population studies suggest that psychopathological, non-cognitive symptoms are both frequent and relevant in dementia. A representative community sample (n = 4,803 individuals, 55 + years) was interviewed in a two-phase design. The Geriatric Mental Sate (GMS) was used for assessment and cases were diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. The prevalence of non-cognitive symptoms (1 + symptoms) in cases of dementia (n = 223) was 90.1%, and negative-type symptoms were most frequently found. A GMS 'apathy-related symptom cluster' (anergia, restriction of activities and anhedonia) was significantly more frequent in the demented (55.6%) than in non-cases (0.7%; specificity = 99.2%). In both dementia of Alzheimer's type and vascular dementia, number of symptoms tended to be inversely related to severity of dementia, but psychopathological profiles differed. Non-cognitive, negative-type symptoms are very frequent in cases of dementia living in the community. They have powerful specificity in the distinction with non-cases, and might change current concepts of dementia.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01280.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01280.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1600-0447

VL - 119

SP - 107

EP - 116

JO - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

IS - 2

ER -