[Psychological and behavioural symptoms as factors of progression to Alzheimer-type dementia in mild cognitive impairment].
BACKGROUND
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a cognitive disturbance in which intensity is not enough to be classified as dementia and does not affect significantly the functioning or activities of daily living. The MCI has a progression rate to Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) related to different factors.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between the presence of psychological and behavioural symptoms (PBS) with progression to ATD en MCI subjects.


METHODS
We evaluated 318 patients with MCI assessed in a Dementia Unit of Catalonia between 1998 to 2002 who were followed five years after the MCI diagnosis. We determined the PBS presence, those classified as affective, behavioural and psychotic symptoms. We also assessed sociodemographic aspects and the ApoE genotype.


RESULTS
The mean age was 74 +/- 7.87 years-old, 56.7% presented PBS, with affective (53%), behavioural (32.2%) and psychotic symptoms (14.8%). In the study, 32.1% progressed to ATD. We found association between the presence of PBS and the progression to ATD (OR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.66-4.63), specifically with behavioural and psychotic symptoms. The ApoE epsilon4 allele showed association with the progression to ATD (OR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.11-2.94). The logistic regression model showed a significant association between the PBS and the epsilon4 allele with the progression to ATD.


CONCLUSIONS
The PBS presence in MCI patients is associated with ATD progression with or without ApoE epsilon4 allele.
Hospital Psiquiàtric Universitari Institut Pere Mata, ISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili Reus, Tarragona, España. reyesj@peremata.com
Julio César
JC
Reyes-Figueroa
Marcel
M
Rosich-Estragó
Eva
E
Bordas-Buera
Ana Milena
AM
Gaviria-Gómez
Elisabet
E
Vilella-Cuadrada
Antonio
A
Labad-Alquézar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4