title: Consistency of neuropsychiatric syndromes across dementias: results from the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium. Part II.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory across several clinical and demographic subgroups (e.g. dementia subtypes, dementia severity, medication use, age and gender) in a large sample of outpatients with dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data of 2,808 patients with dementia from 12 centres from the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium were collected. Principal component analysis was used for factor analysis. Subanalyses were performed for dementia subtypes, dementia severity, medication use, age and gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed the relatively consistent presence of the 4 neuropsychiatric subsyndromes 'hyperactivity', 'psychosis', 'affective symptoms' and 'apathy' across the subanalyses. The factor structure was not dependent on dementia subtypes, age and gender but was dependent on dementia severity and cholinesterase use. The factors hyperactivity and affective symptoms were present in all subanalyses, but the presence of the factors apathy and psychosis was dependent on use of cholinesterase inhibitors and dementia severity, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provided evidence of the relative consistency of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes across dementia subtypes, age and gender, thereby stressing the importance of thinking about neuropsychiatric subsyndromes instead of separate symptoms. However, the subsyndromes apathy and psychosis were dependent on use of cholinesterase inhibitors and dementia severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands. p.aalten@np.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aalten
authors.forename: Frans R J
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Verhey
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boziki
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brugnolo
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: Eleanor Jane
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Camus
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Debby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Peter Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: De Deyn
authors.forename: Kazi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elina
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frisoni
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hurt
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marriott
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mecocci
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Pierre Jean
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ousset
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reynish
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsolaki
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: Philippe H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Robert
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013577:Syndrome