title: Neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with vascular dementia in mainland China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuropsychiatric deficits can induce marked disability in patients with dementia and increase caregiver distress. Several studies have found that neuropsychiatric symptoms are common both in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and patients with vascular dementia (VaD). However, there are few studies of the neuropsychiatric disturbances in large clinical samples of patients with mixed (cortical - subcortical) VaD from mainland China. This study aimed to investigate the neuropsychiatric symptoms in VaD patients in mainland China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients with mixed VaD for over 6 months duration, and their caregivers (VaD group), were recruited for interview in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, from June 2010 to June 2012. Eighty age- and sex-matched normal volunteers (control group) were interviewed at the same time. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) were administered to the VaD patients, their caregivers, and normal volunteers. Group differences were analyzed using the unpaired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total mean scores of the NPI in the VaD group were higher than in the control group (P< 0.01). The subscale scores of NPI, including delusions, hallucinations, depression, apathy, irritability, agitation, aberrant motor behavior, and change in appetite were significantly higher in the VaD group than in the control group (P< 0.05-0.01). Compared with the mild VaD subgroup, the NPI subscale scores of apathy, irritability and total scores were significantly higher in the moderate VaD subgroup (P< 0.05-0.01); the NPI subscale scores of anxiety, apathy, irritability, and total scores were significantly higher in the severe VaD subgroup (P< 0.01). Compared with the moderate VaD subgroup, the NPI subscale scores of anxiety and apathy were significantly higher in the severe VaD subgroup (P< 0.05-0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as hallucination, anxiety, apathy, irritability and aberrant action behavior, are common in patients with mixed VaD from mainland China; anxiety and apathy were more pronounced in the subgroup of severe VaD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Clinical medical research center for dementia and cognitive impairment in Hubei province, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Zhe
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Qichun County Renmin Hospital in Hubei province, Qichun 435000, China.
authors.forename: Chao-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Clinical medical research center for dementia and cognitive impairment in Hubei province, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Teaching and research section of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Rong-Hong
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Xiong
keywords: Mini Mental State Examination; Neuropsychiatric Inventory; Neuropsychiatric symptoms; Vascular dementia