title: Neuropsychiatric Inventory data in a Belgian sample of elderly persons with and without dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assesses and compares prevalence of psychological and behavioral symptoms in a Belgian sample of people with and without dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 228 persons older than 65 years with dementia and a group of 64 non-demented persons were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) in 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the group without dementia, the most frequent symptoms were depression, agitation, and irritability. Within the group with dementia, the most common symptoms were depression, irritability, apathy, and agitation. Prevalence of delusions (P < 0.05), hallucinations (P < 0.05), anxiety (P < 0.05), agitation (P < 0.05), apathy (P < 0.01), aberrant motor behavior (P < 0.01), and eating disorders (P < 0.05) were significantly higher in the group with dementia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression, elation, irritability, disinhibition, and sleeping disorders are not specific to dementia. Agitation, apathy, anxiety, and delusions are more frequent in dementia but were not specific to the dementia group because their prevalence rates were close to 10% in the group without dementia. Hallucinations, aberrant motor behavior, and eating disorders are specific to dementia. The distinction between specific and nonspecific symptoms may be useful for etiological research on biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology of Ageing, Qualidem Research Project, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. gsquelard@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Gilles P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Squelard
authors.forename: Pierre A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Missotten
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paquay
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Lepeleire
authors.forename: Frank J V M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Buntinx
authors.forename: Ovide
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: Stephane R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Michel J D
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ylieff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: behavior; behavior disorders; dementia; epidemiology; neuropsychiatry; psychiatric symptoms