Prevalence and implications of psychopathological non-cognitive symptoms in dementia.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical experience and recent population studies suggest that psychopathological, non-cognitive symptoms are both frequent and relevant in dementia.


METHODS
A representative community sample (n = 4,803 individuals, 55 + years) was interviewed in a two-phase design. The Geriatric Mental Sate (GMS) was used for assessment and cases were diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria.


RESULTS
The prevalence of non-cognitive symptoms (1 + symptoms) in cases of dementia (n = 223) was 90.1%, and negative-type symptoms were most frequently found. A GMS 'apathy-related symptom cluster' (anergia, restriction of activities and anhedonia) was significantly more frequent in the demented (55.6%) than in non-cases (0.7%; specificity = 99.2%). In both dementia of Alzheimer's type and vascular dementia, number of symptoms tended to be inversely related to severity of dementia, but psychopathological profiles differed.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-cognitive, negative-type symptoms are very frequent in cases of dementia living in the community. They have powerful specificity in the distinction with non-cases, and might change current concepts of dementia.
Saz
P
P
Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. psaz@unizar.es
López-Antón
R
R
Dewey
M E
ME
Ventura
T
T
Martín
A
A
Marcos
G
G
De La Cámara
C
C
Quintanilla
M A
MA
Quetglas
B
B
Bel
M
M
Barrera
A
A
Lobo
A
A
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology