title: Neurological signs in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Neurological signs were assessed in 178 patients satisfying NINCDS/ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease. A snout reflex was present in 41%, extrapyramidal signs in 12%, drug-induced extrapyramidal signs in 3%, myoclonus in 5%, and a history of epileptic fits in 3%. A grasp reflex, extrapyramidal signs and symptoms were associated with severe cognitive impairment. On CT scanning, extrapyramidal signs were associated with increased 3rd ventricular size and basal ganglia calcification, a grasp reflex with frontal lobe atrophy and a history of epilepsy with left temporal lobe atrophy. Lateral ventricular size was greater in patients developing a grasp reflex during a 12 month follow-up. Extrapyramidal signs and primitive reflexes were associated with a higher mortality.
authors.affiliation: Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacoby
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001284:Atrophy; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed