Non-cognitive disturbances and patient characteristics: Prevalence and relationship in Alzheimer's disease

The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine the spectrum of non-cognitive symptom manifestation in a cohort with Alzheimer's disease. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between non-cognitive indices and patient characteristics. Information was elicited from 63 primary caregivers using a biographical questionnaire, the Behaviour Rating Scale for Dementia and the Blessed Dementia Scale. Symptoms clustered under the neuropsychiatric nomenclature included mood-related behaviours, which occurred in over 50% of the sample. Agitation, irritability and apathy were the most common neuro-behavioural dysregulatory behaviours reported by caregivers. The correlation between noncognitive symptoms and patient characteristics revealed that lower cognitive functioning is significantly associated with aggressive actions and higher levels of cognitive functioning with the manifestation of depressive symptoms. These findings have implications for caregiver distress and caregiver management of non-institutionalised Alzheimer's patients.