[Descriptive study of behavioural disorders in mild cognitive impairment].
BACKGROUND
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as an abnormality in cognitive function not provoking a noticeable disability in activities of daily living in the affected person. In a group of patients with MCI, we propose to observe and to quantify the presence of behavioral disorders, using the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI).


METHODS
NPI is a known instrument in evaluation of this kind of disorders in patients with dementia, and it is a semi structured interview with a relevant informer or relative to the patient. NPI was applied to a series of 100 cases (61 women and 39 men) of MCI, diagnosed as usual in our settings. Mean age was 74.3 +/- 10 years, and mean MEC (Spanish modified version of MMSE) 25.57 +/- 4.2 (over a maximum of 35 points).


RESULTS
Most prevalent disorder was depression, in 36 % of cases, and other frequent findings were irritability (35%), anxiety (24%) and apathy (19%). In some cases, agitation (4%), abnormal motor behavior (3%) and delusions (1%) were detected. Hallucination, disinhibition and euphoria or elation were not detected in this series.


CONCLUSIONS
Data show a certain similarity with occidental culture environment, globally considered. The presence of behavioral and psychological disorders in patients with MCI could be a marker for later development of dementia. NPI can be a usable tool when detection and evaluation of these symptoms is required.
Unidad de Neuropsicología y Demencias, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, España. baquero@mail.ono.es
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Baquero
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Blasco
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Campos-García
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Garcés
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Fages
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Andreu-Català
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales