title: Grouping for behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia: clinical and biological aspects. Consensus paper of the European Alzheimer disease consortium.
abstract: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), constitute a major clinical component of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a growing interest in BPSD as they are responsible for a large share of the suffering of patients and caregivers, and they strongly determine the patient's lifestyle and management. Better detection and understanding of these symptoms is essential to provide appropriate management. This article is a consensus produced by the behavioral group of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC). The aim of this article is to present clinical description and biological correlates of the major behavioral and psychological symptomatology in AD. BPSD is not a unitary concept. Instead, it should be divided into several symptoms or more likely: groups of symptoms, each possibly reflecting a different prevalence, course over time, biological correlate and psychosocial determinants. There is some clinical evidence for clusters within groups of BPSD. Biological studies indicate that patients with AD and BPSD are associated with variations in the pathological features (atrophy, brain perfusion/metabolism, histopathology) when compared to people with AD without BPSD. An individually tailored approach taking all these aspects into account is warranted as it may offer more, and better, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment opportunities.
authors.affiliation: Centre Mémoire de Ressources & de Recherche, CHU, Hopital Pasteur, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, 30, Avenue de la Voie Romaine, 06002 Nice cedex 1, France. philippe.robert15@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Philippe H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Frans R J
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Verhey
authors.forename: E Jane
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hurt
authors.forename: Peter Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: De Deyn
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riello
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Giovanni B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Frisoni
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsolaki
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kyriazopoulou
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D032921:Consensus; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005060:Europe; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012955:Societies, Medical