J Korean Geriatr Psychiatry.  2009 Dec;13(2):77-82.

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms according to Severity in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

• Jang KW
• Kim JH
• Ahn IS
• Kim DK

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Our study investigated the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with three groups (mild, moderate, severe) and prevalence of BPSD with the severity of AD. METHOD: In a study group of 338 patients with AD (mild:184, moderate:99, severe:55), information on gender, age, education was collected. The severity of dementia was measured by the Korean version of mini-mental status examination (K-MMSE) and Clinical dementia rating (CDR). The Korean version of Neruopsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI) was administered to all patients.
RESULTS
Depression/dysphoria, apathy/indifference, irritability/lability, anxiety were frequent in the mild AD group. Apathy/indifference, Depression/dysphoria, agitation/aggression, delusion were frequent in the moderate AD group. Apathy/indifference, agitation/aggression, aberrant motor behavior, nighttime behavior, anxiety were frequent in the severe AD group.
CONCLUSION
These observations suggest that delusion was a more dominant symptom in moderate AD group and the prevalence of depression declined in severe AD group.

Keyword

Neuropsychiatric inventory; Alzheimer's disease; CDR

MeSH Terms

Alzheimer Disease
Anxiety
Delusions
Dementia
Deoxycytidine
Depression
Humans
Prevalence
Deoxycytidine