Neuropsychiatric syndromes in dementia - Results from the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium: Part I

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to identify neuropsychiatric subsyndromes of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory in a large sample of outpatients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Cross-sectional data of 2,354 patients with AD from 12 centres from the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium were collected. Principal component analysis was used for factor analysis. Results: The results showed the presence of 4 neuropsychiatric subsyndromes: hyperactivity, psychosis, affective symptoms and apathy. The subsyndrome apathy was the most common, occurring in almost 65% of the patients. Conclusion: This large study has provided additional robust evidence for the existence of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes in AD. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.