Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia characteristic of mild Alzheimer patients.

In order to clarify the characteristics of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), BPSD among the severities of Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) in 74 patients with AD were compared using the Neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI). The result, when compared between mild (CDR = 0.5, 1) and moderate or severe (CDR = 2, 3) AD, was a significant difference in frequency of euphoria, disinhibition and aberrant motor behavior, but no significant difference was found in frequency of delusions, hallucinations, agitation, dysphoria, anxiety, apathy and irritability. In addition, a significant difference was found in the mean scores of the composite score for euphoria, apathy, disinhibition and aberrant motor behavior, but no significant difference was found in the mean scores of the composite score for delusions, hallucinations, agitation, dysphoria, anxiety and irritability. That is, the mild AD groups (CDR 0.5 or 1) had delusions, hallucinations, agitation, dysphoria, anxiety, apathy and irritability as frequently as the moderate or severe AD groups (CDR 2 or 3), and had the equivalent level of composite scores to the moderate or severe AD groups (CDR 2 or 3) in delusion, hallucination, agitation, dysphoria, anxiety and irritability. Therefore, it was supposed that psychotic symptoms (delusion, hallucination) and emotional symptoms (agitation, dysphoria, anxiety, irritability) are important BPSD in patients with mild AD as well as those with moderate or severe AD, and there are needs for health, welfare and medical services for these symptoms.