Components of behavioral pathology in dementia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the occurence of the noncognitive behavioral and psychological symptoms and signs of dementia in a geriatric chronic-care hospital and to separate agitated and affective components of behavioral pathology using factor analysis.


METHODS
The frequency and severity of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, mixed dementia and Lewy Body dementia was assessed in 145 consecutive residents of a chronic-care hospital. The presence of noncognitive behavioral symptoms was evaluated with the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD) and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). A Factor analysis on the BEHAVE-AD subscores was performed to create symptom clusters. Analysis of covariance and post hoc tests were used to compare means of factor variables between different types of dementia.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between severity of dementia and BEHAVE-AD total score and between severity of dementia and CMAI total score. Factor analysis with Varimax rotation revealed the presence of three behavioral subsyndromes: agitation, affectivity and day/night disturbances.


CONCLUSIONS
The finding of three factors of behavioral pathology in demented patients reflects the possibility that different etiological mechanisms could explain the expression of the symptoms and signs of psychosis in demented patients.
Schreinzer
Daniel
D
Department of General Psychiatry, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
Ballaban
Thomas
T
Brannath
Werner
W
Lang
Thomas
T
Hilger
Eva
E
Fasching
Peter
P
Fischer
Peter
P
D000342:Affective Symptoms; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression; D001519:Behavior; D003704:Dementia / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male