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P2‐028: Alzheimer's disease: Influence of nutritional status on cognitive deficits, behavioral symptoms and caregiver's burden
Author(s) -
Vista Marco,
Picchi Lucia,
Di Giorgio Adriana,
Dolciotti Cristina,
Cipriani Gabriele,
Bonuccelli Ubaldo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.1048
Subject(s) - cognition , caregiver burden , dementia , disease , medicine , cognitive impairment , alzheimer's disease , correlation , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , geometry , mathematics
2009); were assessed for BPS using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). Dementia stage was established with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Results: 137 patients (96.5%) exhibited one or more of these symptoms in the month before examination, (average four). Frequency of presentation was the following: nighttime behavioral disturbances (74%), delusions (58%), agitation/aggression (48%), depression (39%), hallucinations (37%), irritability (35%), appetite/eating disturbances (32%), apathy (24%), anxiety (23%), aberrant motor behavior (19%), disinhibition (13%), and euphoria (3%). Sleep disturbances, delusions, agitation/aggression, hallucinations and depression were among the more clinically significant individual symptoms. Mean 12 domains total NPI-Q severity score was 8.4 6 3.7 points (range:0-16/36); mean 12 domains total NPI-Q distress score was 11.0 6 6.8 (range:0-25/60); no significant differences were found between genders. Total NPI-Q severity score was strongly correlated to total NPI-Q distress score (r 1⁄4 0.956). Across CDR staging: depression (60%), and anxiety (43%), were the most prevalent symptoms in CDR0.5-1 subgroup; sleep disturbances (92%), delusions (78%), agitation/aggressivity (67%), appetite/eating disturbances (43%), hallucinations (41%), aberrant motor behaviors (37%), predominated in CDR2 subgroup; CDR3 subgroup exhibited mostly sleep disturbances (96%), delusions (93%), agitation/aggressivity (87 %), hallucinations (74%), appetite/eating disturbances (58%), disinhibition (39%). CDR2 and CDR3 subgroups differed in prevalence of agitation/aggressivity (p 1⁄4 0.04), hallucinations (p 1⁄4 0.003), disinhibition (p1⁄4 0.004) and aberrant motor behaviors (p1⁄4 0.04). Both total NPIQ severity and total NPI-Q distress scores were strongly correlated to CDR; (r1⁄4 0.907; r1⁄4 0.914). Conclusions: These findings show a high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease, and differences in the prevalence and severity of the symptoms at different stages of illness. An almost stage specific stereotyped neuropsychiatric profile was observed. Symptoms severity as assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire strongly correlated with associated caregiver distress.