Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2026

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
Published on: July 8, 2015
Hallucinations, cognitive decline, and death in Alzheimer's disease
R S Wilson1, Y Tang, N T Aggarwal
1Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, and Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. rwilson@rush.edu
Abstract:
The relation of psychotic symptoms to cognitive decline and mortality in Alzheimer's disease (AD) was examined during a mean of 2.2 years in 478 persons selected from clinical settings. Psychotic symptoms were ascertained at baseline and cognition was assessed semiannually with nine tests from which a global measure was formed. In analyses that controlled for age, sex, race, and education, hallucinations (29.6%), especially visual ones, were associated with more rapid global cognitive decline and increased mortality, even after controlling for baseline level of cognition and use of antipsychotic medication, and the association with mortality increased with higher level of education. Delusions and misperceptions were not strongly related to cognitive decline or mortality. The results suggest that hallucinations in Alzheimer's disease, particularly visual ones, are associated with more rapid progression.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Dementia l: Introduction

