title: Differing patterns of psychiatric impairment in Alzheimer and demented parkinsonian patients.
abstract: Psychiatric symptoms were investigated and compared in 95 patients with Alzheimer type dementia (DAT) and in 39 patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia (PD-D). The diagnosis of the dementia and psychiatric disorders was based on DSM III R criteria; dementia stage was assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). PD-D were significantly older than DAT patients. Delirium was more frequent in the advanced stages of both PD-D and DAT, being mainly of the hypoactive type in PD-D and the hyperactive type in DAT. Delusions and hallucinations predominated in the early CDR stages of both illnesses and did not differ between groups; the same was true for depression. The results revealed different psychopathological profiles in DAT and PD-D patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta, Milano.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soliveri
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zappacosta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Austoni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caffarra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scaglioni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palazzini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caraceni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Girotti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales