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Neuropsychiatric symptoms in amnestic and nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment

L Rozzini1, B Vicini Chilovi, M Conti

  • 1Neurological Clinic, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. lrozzini@iol.it

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
|November 21, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Neuropsychiatric symptoms like depression and anxiety are common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Hallucinations and sleep issues are more frequent in nonamnestic MCI (naMCI) compared to amnestic MCI (aMCI).

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Gerontology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Limited data exists on neuropsychiatric symptoms across mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes.
  • Understanding these symptoms is crucial for early diagnosis and management of MCI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize behavioral neuropsychiatric symptoms in amnestic MCI (aMCI) and nonamnestic MCI (naMCI) patients.
  • To identify differences in symptom prevalence between MCI subtypes.

Main Methods:

  • Classified 120 MCI patients into aMCI (memory impairment) and naMCI (nonmemory domain impairment).
  • Utilized the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to assess behavioral and psychological disturbances reported by caregivers.

Main Results:

  • 85% of MCI patients exhibited neuropsychiatric symptoms, primarily depression and anxiety.
  • Hallucinations and sleep disorders were significantly more prevalent in the naMCI group than in the aMCI group.
  • aMCI patients showed greater global cognitive impairment than naMCI patients.

Conclusions:

  • Neuropsychiatric symptoms are prevalent in most individuals with MCI.
  • These symptoms can be early indicators of underlying diseases with distinct clinical profiles at the MCI stage.

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