Carolyn W Zhu, Lon S Schneider, Laili Soleimani, Judith Neugroschl, Hillel T Grossman, Corbett Schimming, Mary Sano
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: The authors explored classes of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), examined the relationship between NPS classes on rate of functional decline over time, and determined whether effects of individual symptoms on functional decline remained after controlling for NPS classes.
Methods: The authors longitudinally analyzed 9,797 study participants with mild cognitive impairment or AD at baseline in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set. Function was measured with the Functional Assessment Questionnaire, and NPSs were assessed by using clinician judgment. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify clusters of individuals who shared similar NPS profiles. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the relationship between NPS classes and individual symptom profiles in functional decline over time.
Results: LCA revealed four distinct NPS classes: an asymptomatic-mild group (48.2% of the sample, N=4,721), a second group predominantly having apathy and depression (36.4%, N=3,562), a third group with high rates of multiple symptoms except for hallucinations (12.8%, N=1,250), and a small group with high rates of all symptoms (complex class, 2.7%, N=264). NPS classes differed in baseline function but were not significantly associated with rate of functional decline. When NPS classes were controlled for, persistent apathy remained strongly associated with a faster rate of functional decline. Effects of apathy were observed across NPS classes and disease severity levels.
Conclusions: Specific symptoms rather than classes of symptoms were associated with the trajectory of functional decline in AD. Apathy may be particularly useful for tracking longitudinal changes in function.
期刊介绍:
As the official Journal of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, the premier North American organization of clinicians, scientists, and educators specializing in behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, and the clinical neurosciences, the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences (JNCN) aims to publish works that advance the science of brain-behavior relationships, the care of persons and families affected by neurodevelopmental, acquired neurological, and neurodegenerative conditions, and education and training in behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry. JNCN publishes peer-reviewed articles on the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral manifestations of neurological conditions, the structural and functional neuroanatomy of idiopathic psychiatric disorders, and the clinical and educational applications and public health implications of scientific advances in these areas. The Journal features systematic reviews and meta-analyses, narrative reviews, original research articles, scholarly considerations of treatment and educational challenges in behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry, analyses and commentaries on advances and emerging trends in the field, international perspectives on neuropsychiatry, opinions and introspections, case reports that inform on the structural and functional bases of neuropsychiatric conditions, and classic pieces from the field’s rich history.