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Dementia in middle-aged patients with schizophrenia
Gaël Nicolas1, Laurène Beherec2, Didier Hannequin3
1Department of Neurology, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France Deparment of Research, Rouvray Psychiatric Hospital, Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France Inserm, U1079, Rouen, France; University of Rouen, Normandie Univ, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine, Rouen, France CNR MAJ, Rouen, Lille and Paris Salpêtrière Hospitals, France.
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|November 29, 2013
Summary
Diagnosing dementia in middle-aged schizophrenia patients is challenging but achievable with a structured approach. Behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) was the most common diagnosis found in this study.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cognitive dysfunction is common in schizophrenia, yet dementia diagnosis in this population is understudied.
- Middle-aged schizophrenia patients require specific diagnostic considerations for dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To accurately diagnose dementia in middle-aged schizophrenia patients.
- To identify the specific types of dementia present in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 96 schizophrenia patients (aged 50-70) underwent comprehensive psychiatric, neurological, and neuropsychological evaluations over 20 months.
- A three-step diagnostic procedure was employed, including DSM-IV criteria, neuroimaging (99mTc-ECD-SPECT), laboratory tests (Alzheimer's biomarkers), and genetic analysis.
- Standardized scales like the Mattis Dementia Rating and Activities of Daily Living were utilized.
Main Results:
- Fourteen patients (14.6%) met the diagnostic criteria for dementia.
- The most frequent diagnosis was behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) (n=4).
- Other diagnoses included Alzheimer's disease (n=2), vascular dementia (n=2), and CNS inflammatory disease (n=1), with six cases uncharacterized.
Conclusions:
- A multistep diagnostic procedure can successfully identify dementia in middle-aged schizophrenia patients.
- Behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) appears to be a significant finding, potentially indicating an underlying neurodegenerative process.
- Further research is needed to fully characterize all dementia subtypes in this population.
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