The Neural Correlates of Delusions in Dementia: A Scoping Review

Delusions are common symptoms of dementia and are clinically significant. The objective of this scoping review is to identify possible neural correlates. MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID) and Web of Science were searched in December 2020 for the keywords 'delusions' and 'dementia'. Two informal searches were carried out subsequently. Results were limited to those in English. Intervention and study characteristics were extracted using standardised tools. Eighteen published studies, using four distinct experimental methods, were included, and 31 brain regions were identified as correlates of delusions. No region was identified consistently within included studies or found in more than four studies. Despite the range of brain regions identified, a number form part of the default mode network, the salience network or the central executive network. We explore the implications of these findings for understanding delusions in dementia.