title: Neuropsychiatric symptoms and global functional impairment along the Alzheimer's continuum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly prevalent. We sought to determine whether neuropsychiatric symptoms were related to global functional impairment at baseline and over a 3-year period in older normal control (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild AD dementia subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight hundred and twelve subjects (229 NC, 395 MCI, 188 AD) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study underwent cognitive and behavioral assessments over 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater hallucinations, anxiety and apathy were associated with greater global functional impairment at baseline, while the presence of hallucinations and apathy at baseline was associated with greater global functional impairment over time across all subjects. The following neuropsychiatric symptoms were not significantly associated with global functioning: delusions, agitation, depression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor behaviors, sleep and appetite.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that increased baseline hallucinations, apathy and anxiety are associated with current and future disease progression in AD.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wadsworth
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lorius
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Locascio
authors.forename: Dorene M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rentz
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Reisa A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sperling
authors.forename: Gad A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D057565:Apathy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged