Document Detail


Behavioural and psychological symptoms are not related to white matter hyperintensities and medial temporal lobe atrophy in Alzheimer's disease.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17907266     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: The neuropathology of behavioural and psychological symptoms is much less understood than the neuropathology of cognitive impairment in AD. On MRI, medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) is presumed to reflect Alzheimer- type pathology. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are considered markers of vascular pathology. AIM: We investigated differences in prevalence of behavioural and psychological symptoms in AD according to the presence of MTA and WMH on MRI. METHODS: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of 111 consecutive AD patients were assessed using the Neuropsychatric Inventory (NPI). Symptoms were considered present when the score was > or =1. On MRI, MTA was rated using the five-point Scheltens-scale and WMH using the four-point Fazekas-scale. Both MRI measures were dichotomised (MTA: absent 0/1, present 2-4; WMH absent 0/1, present 2/3). RESULTS: Of the 111 AD patients, 60(55%) had MTA, and 32(29%) had WMH. The presence of MTA was associated with the presence of WMH (chi (2) = 11.8, p < 0.001). The prevalence of behavioural and psychological symptoms--defined as a NPI score of > or =1 on at least one symptom--was 74%.The median NPI score of the total study population was 6(0-41). There was no difference in prevalence according to MTA (p = 0.53) or WMH (p = 0.18). On inspection of individual NPI items, neither MTA, nor WMH was related to any of the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in prevalence of behavioural and psychological symptoms according to MTA or WMH, as rated on MRI. This suggests that the occurrence of those symptoms depends on other determinants, such as coping style or genetic make-up.
Authors:
Salka S Staekenborg; Freek Gillissen; Rolinka Romkes; Yolande A L Pijnenburg; Frederik Barkhof; Philip Scheltens; Wiesje M van der Flier
Related Documents :
12091696 - Dementing disorders: volumetric measurement of cerebrospinal fluid to distinguish norma...
17314116 - Visual and cerebral sequelae of very low birth weight in adolescents.
17562936 - Deformation-based morphometry reveals brain atrophy in frontotemporal dementia.
12498956 - A voxel-based morphometry study of temporal lobe gray matter reductions in alzheimer's ...
20432006 - Post-operative cardiac lesions after cardiac surgery in childhood.
15693646 - Pet imaging for differentiating recurrent brain tumor from radiation necrosis.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  International journal of geriatric psychiatry     Volume:  23     ISSN:  0885-6230     ISO Abbreviation:  Int J Geriatr Psychiatry     Publication Date:  2008 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-04-03     Completed Date:  2008-11-25     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8710629     Medline TA:  Int J Geriatr Psychiatry     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  387-92     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Alzheimer Centre and Department of Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. s.staekenborg@vumc.nl
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged
Alzheimer Disease / pathology,  psychology*
Atrophy / etiology,  psychology
Brain Mapping / methods
Female
Humans
Leukoaraiosis / etiology,  psychology*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Severity of Illness Index
Social Behavior Disorders / etiology*,  pathology
Temporal Lobe / pathology*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Factors associated with antidepressant use in depressed and non-depressed community-dwelling elderly...
Next Document:  An organelle proteomic method to study neurotransmission-related proteins, applied to a neurodevelop...