Clinical Manifestations.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are increasingly recognized in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage to dementia.
• While sex differences in Alzheimer's dementia are documented, research on these differences in MCI is limited.
• This study investigates sex-based variations in NPS prevalence and severity among individuals over 65 with MCI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore sex differences in the prevalence of individual neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild cognitive impairment.
• To assess sex differences in the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild cognitive impairment.
• To contribute to understanding the role of sex in the manifestation of MCI.

Main Methods:

• Participants diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (ICD-10) were recruited from UK memory services.
• Clinical assessments included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Neuropsychiatry Inventory-Clinician version (NPI-C).
• Data from 46 participants (59% women, mean age 79.22) were analyzed for sex-specific NPS patterns.

Main Results:

• Men with MCI exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of aberrant vocalizations (p=0.03).
• Men showed significantly greater severity of irritability (p=0.10) and dysphoria (p=0.05) compared to women.
• Participant groups were comparable in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (p=0.28).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights significant sex differences in the prevalence and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms within the mild cognitive impairment population.
• Further research is crucial to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of these sex differences.
• Understanding these differences may aid in predicting dementia progression and developing targeted interventions.