Publication:
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Posterior Cortical Atrophy and Alzheimer Disease.

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2015-09-24

Authors

Suárez-González, Aida
Crutch, Sebastian J
Franco-Macías, Emilio
Gil-Néciga, Eulogio

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Metrics
Google Scholar
Export

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Journal Issue

Abstract

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by early progressive visual dysfunction in the context of relative preservation of memory and a pattern of atrophy mainly involving the posterior cortex. The aim of the present study is to characterize the neuropsychiatric profile of PCA. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used to assess 12 neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in 28 patients with PCA and 34 patients with typical Alzheimer disease (AD) matched by age, disease duration, and illness severity. The most commonly reported NPS in both groups were depression, anxiety, apathy, and irritability. However, aside from a trend toward lower rates of apathy in patients with PCA, there were no differences in the percentage of NPS presented in each group. All those patients presenting visual hallucinations in the PCA group also met diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Auditory hallucinations were only present in patients meeting diagnosis criteria for DLB. Prevalence of the 12 NPS examined was similar between patients with PCA and AD. Hallucinations in PCA may be helpful in the differential diagnosis between PCA-AD and PCA-DLB.

Description

MeSH Terms

Aged
Alzheimer Disease
Anxiety
Apathy
Atrophy
Cerebral Cortex
Depression
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Hallucinations
Humans
Irritable Mood
Lewy Body Disease
Male
Middle Aged
Personality Inventory
Severity of Illness Index

DeCS Terms

CIE Terms

Keywords

neuropsychiatric inventory, neuropsychiatric symptoms, posterior cortical atrophy, visual hallucinations

Citation