Verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease. Clinical, functional and neuropsychological correlates.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical, functional and neuropsychological correlates of verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease in a group of consecutive first attendees to a memory clinic.


METHODS
150 people were evaluated and diagnosed as suffering with probable Alzheimer's disease. These people were tested using the Behave-AD for the presence of verbal aggression, delusions, depression and agitation. They were also assessed with cognitive, functional and neuropsychological scales.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight per cent of this group of Alzheimer patients had exhibited some verbal aggression in the preceding month. Male gender (p = 0.022), the presence of paranoid and delusional ideation (p = 0.003) and agitation (p = 0.042) were significantly associated with verbal aggression in a stepwise backward logistic regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of verbal aggression should prompt the clinician to search for delusional ideation, which may respond to pharmacotherapy.
Eustace
A
A
Mercer's Institute for Research in Ageing, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland. mira@stjames.ie
Kidd
N
N
Greene
E
E
Fallon
C
C
Bhrain
S N
SN
Cunningham
C
C
Coen
R
R
Walsh
J B
JB
Coakley
D
D
Lawlor
B A
BA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation; D014705:Verbal Behavior