Assessment of behavioral and affective symptoms in Alzheimer's disease

Noncognitive behavioral symptoms occurring during the prior week were studied in 34 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 21 spousal control subjects via caregiver and patient interviews using the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Delusional or paranoid features were reported in 13 subjects (38%) and hallucinations in six (18%); patients with these psychoticlike symptoms had lower scores on the Folstein's Mini-Mental State Examination. Other behavioral symptoms reported in AD patients included anxiety (50%) and activity disturbances (44%). Six AD subjects (18%) and two controls (10%) showed mild to moderate symptoms of depression; AD subjects were more likely than controls to show behavioral signs and symptoms of depression, but the two groups did not differ in terms of mood-related, cyclical, or physical signs and symptoms.