Prevalence and correlates of aggressive behavior in Alzheimer's disease.
The authors assessed a consecutive series of 196 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) for the presence of aggressive behavior, using a standardized neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neuropsychological battery that included both the Overt Aggression Scale and the Irritability Scale. Twelve percent of patients showed aggressive episodes (5% with verbal aggression, 7% with physical aggression) during the 4 weeks preceding the psychiatric evaluation. Physical aggression was significantly associated with more frequent delusions and more severe irritability.
Chemerinski
E
E
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Raúl Carrea Institute of Neurological Research, Buenos Aires, Argentina. eran@fleni.org.ar
Petracca
G
G
Tesón
A
A
Sabe
L
L
Leiguarda
R
R
Starkstein
S E
SE
D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010556:Personality Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology
D000928:Antidepressive Agents