Correlation between both morphologic and functional changes and anxiety in Alzheimer's disease
Kenji Tagai1, Tomoyuki Nagata, Shunichiro Shinagawa
1Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
|April 16, 2014
Summary
Anxiety in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is linked to brain changes. Specific areas of hyperperfusion and gray matter reduction correlate with anxiety symptoms in mild AD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Anxiety symptoms are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but often overlooked.
- Limited research exists on the neurobiological underpinnings of anxiety in AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between anxiety symptoms and neuroimaging findings in mild AD.
- To explore the neural correlates of anxiety in Alzheimer's disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in 26 mild AD patients.
- Assessed neuropsychiatric symptoms using the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (Behave-AD).
- Employed Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 (SPM8) for neuroimaging analysis.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was found between Behave-AD anxiety scores and hyperperfusion in bilateral anterior cingulate cortices.
- Reduced gray matter volume in the right precuneus and inferior parietal lobule was associated with anxiety scores.
- Neuroimaging revealed specific patterns linked to anxiety symptoms in mild AD.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety in AD may share neural mechanisms with generalized anxiety disorders.
- Degenerative processes characteristic of AD appear to be associated with the manifestation of anxiety.
- Findings highlight the importance of recognizing and investigating anxiety in AD management.
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