title: [Neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild cognitive impairment].
abstract: The mild cognitive impairment (MCI), has emerged as an identifiable condition and in many cases is an intermediate state preceding diagnosable Alzheimer disease (AD) characterized by acquired cognitive deficits, without significant decline in functional activities of daily living. The aim of this study was to determine both the presence and type of neuropsychiatric manifestations in MCI patients and to compare them with both those suffering from mild AD and normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  86 subjects were assessed, 27 were classified as having MCI, 39 as having presumable mild AD, and 20 normal controls matched by age and education. The Neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI-Q) was used to assess the neuropsychiatric manifestations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common symptoms in the MCI group were irritability (55%), dysphoria (44%), apathy (37%), and anxiety (37%). Statistically significant differences were observed between the MCI and control groups regarding the above mentioned symptoms (p0.05). However, the differences between the MCI and mild AD groups were not found to be statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MCI is associated with a high rate of neuropsychiatric symptoms (irritability, depression, anxiety and apathy). These symptoms have serious adverse consequences and should be considered in diagnosis criteria.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación de la Memoria, Hospital Abel Zubizarreta, (GCBA).
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Demey
authors.forename: Máximo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimerman
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Allegri
authors.forename: Cecilia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Fernando E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Taragano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index