Functional cognitive disorder in Alzheimer's disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Functional cognitive disorders (FCD) are increasingly recognized.
• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• The relationship between FCD and AD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore FCD in the context of AD.
• To identify potential shared mechanisms between FCD and AD.
• To investigate clinical features differentiating FCD-AD from FCD-only cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of FCD patients with co-occurring AD diagnosis.
• Comparison of FCD-AD cases with matched FCD-only patients.
• Data collection included demographics, clinical features, biomarkers, and cognitive testing.

Main Results:

• Twelve FCD-AD cases identified; FCD symptoms preceded or coincided with AD diagnosis.
• FCD-AD cases showed lower baseline cognition, more sleep/mood disturbances than FCD-only.
• Informant concerns, executive/language/praxis deficits, and increased repetitions suggested underlying AD.

Conclusions:

• FCD may represent a prodromal or presenting feature of AD.
• Findings have implications for FCD prognostication, management, and clinical trial design.
• Understanding FCD-AD links can improve early detection and patient care.