Abstract
BackgroundBehavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) form an important sub-syndrome of dementia. We assessed the frequency and severity of BPSD in a random sample of Hungarian treatment-naïve dementia patients. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between cognitive symptoms and BPSD and the pattern of BPSD in specific types of dementias.MethodsPatients (n=131) were classified into 3 groups: Alzheimer’s (AD), vascular (VD), and mixed (MD) dementia. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) neuropsychological tests were employed.ResultsMean age and MMSE score did not differ significantly among groups. BPSD was frequent (100% prevalence, NPI mean total Frequency score: 14.58, SD=7.55); abnormal motor behaviour showed the highest frequency. Hallucinations and delusions were related to the aetiology of dementia and were independent of the level of cognitive deterioration, whereas irritability, sleep-wake cycle dysfunctions, and eating-appetite change were associated with cognitive deterioration and were independent from aetiology. Both aberrant motor behaviour and disinhibition were significantly associated with aetiology and cognitive deterioration.ConclusionsBPSD symptoms are significant constituents of dementia syndromes, affecting quality of life and substantially contributing to the caregiver’s burden. Specific symptom patterns can be identified in different types of dementia.
Highlights
The 2010 WHO report drew attention to the importance of the increasing prevalence of dementia and to the urgent need for a solution to proper care of dementia patients, given its global burdens and dangers [1]
Cognitive functions were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the ADAS-Cog
We found significant differences across study groups with regard to the frequency of individual Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) symptoms
Summary
The 2010 WHO report drew attention to the importance of the increasing prevalence of dementia and to the urgent need for a solution to proper care of dementia patients, given its global burdens and dangers [1]. Alzheimer’s disease or other old-age dementia by 2050 versus the present 36 million dementia patients. Based on the DSM-IV [2], dementia is a gradually developing decline of cognitive functions that results in occupational and social dysfunctions. Given its possible stigmatizing effect, in DSM-5 the term dementia was replaced by neurocognitive disorder (NCD), which can be classified as mild or major and by its aetiology. NCD covers all types of diseases in which the core feature of the disease is cognitive dysfunction appearing as a decline from a previous level [3]. Because Hungarian clinical practice follows ICD-10 and our research work had started earlier than the publication of DSM-5, in this paper we use the diagnostic category of dementia, and the term according to ICD-10 [4]. We examined the relationship between cognitive symptoms and BPSD and the pattern of BPSD in specific types of dementias
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