Racial/ethnic differences in neuropsychiatric disturbances associated with incident dementia

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Geriatrics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are prevalent in dementia, significantly impacting patients and caregivers.
• Previous research indicated potential racial/ethnic disparities in NPS among individuals with dementia.
• It remains unclear whether these disparities exist before or after dementia diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence and patterns of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in individuals before and after dementia diagnosis.
• To compare NPS trajectories across different racial/ethnic groups using longitudinal data.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of participants at Alzheimer's Disease Centers, assessed annually using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q).
• Analysis included descriptive statistics by race/ethnicity and modeling of NPS over time, using dementia diagnosis as a baseline.
• Statistical adjustments were made for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

• Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) were observed in 95% of participants at some point during the study.
• After adjusting for covariates, no statistically significant differences in NPI-Q total scores were found among racial/ethnic groups at the time of dementia diagnosis or thereafter.
• This prospective cohort study indicates no racial/ethnic disparities in NPS when individuals are matched at dementia conversion.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that racial and ethnic differences in NPS prevalence are not evident once individuals are diagnosed with dementia.
• The study highlights the importance of considering the timing of diagnosis when examining disparities in dementia-related symptoms.
• Future research should explore potential factors contributing to previously observed differences in NPS across racial/ethnic groups.