title: Prevalence of delirium among outpatients with dementia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delirium and dementia are highly interrelated. However, few comprehensive epidemiological studies have examined this altered state of consciousness superimposed on dementia. We investigated the frequency of delirium in patients with dementia, its prevalence in patients with each dementia type, and its association with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in patients with neurodegenerative dementias.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 261 consecutive outpatients in the memory clinic of a psychiatric hospital between April 2010 and September 2011. All patients underwent routine laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT), and their Mini-Mental State Examination, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS), and Delirium Rating Scale - Revised 98 scores were recorded. The diagnosis of delirium was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision. CVD was detected by CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 206 patients with dementia, delirium was present in 40 (19.4%). The proportion of patients who experienced episodes of delirium was 14.7% in the Alzheimer's disease, 34.4% in the vascular dementia, 31.8% in the dementia with Lewy bodies, and none in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Delirium was frequently observed in patients with dementia and CVD. The NPI total and agitation subscale scores were significantly higher in dementia patients with delirium than in those without delirium. PSMS scores were significantly lower for patients with delirium than for patients without delirium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of delirium varies with each dementia type. In addition, delirium decreases activities of daily living, exaggerates behavioral and psychological symptoms dementia, and is associated with CVD in patients with neurodegenerative dementias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yatabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed