Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
Prevalence and implications of psychopathological non-cognitive symptoms in dementia
P Saz1, R López-Antón, M E Dewey
1Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. psaz@unizar.es
Objective:
Clinical experience and recent population studies suggest that psychopathological, non-cognitive symptoms are both frequent and relevant in dementia.
Method:
A representative community sample (n = 4,803 individuals, 55 + years) was interviewed in a two-phase design. The Geriatric Mental Sate (GMS) was used for assessment and cases were diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria.
Results:
The prevalence of non-cognitive symptoms (1 + symptoms) in cases of dementia (n = 223) was 90.1%, and negative-type symptoms were most frequently found. A GMS 'apathy-related symptom cluster' (anergia, restriction of activities and anhedonia) was significantly more frequent in the demented (55.6%) than in non-cases (0.7%; specificity = 99.2%). In both dementia of Alzheimer's type and vascular dementia, number of symptoms tended to be inversely related to severity of dementia, but psychopathological profiles differed.
Conclusion:
Non-cognitive, negative-type symptoms are very frequent in cases of dementia living in the community. They have powerful specificity in the distinction with non-cases, and might change current concepts of dementia.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Dementia l: Introduction
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
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...

