GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE BEHAVIORAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between gender and specific typ es of behavior problems that occur in patients with Alzheimer's diseas e. DESIGN: This was an observational study using the Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale to quantify and define behavioral problems encounte red by caregivers. Multiple regressions were used to control for the p ossible influence of dementia severity as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the duration of dementia. SETTING: Patients were sampled from the outpatient dementia clinics of Roger Williams Hospit al and Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. PARTICIPANTS: A to tal of 125 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, defined by NINC DS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria, were included in the study. There were 7 5 women and 50 men. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Caregivers rated the presen ce and frequency of 28 different behavior problems from the Dementia B ehavior Disturbance Scale. Domains of behavior disturbance were then d efined by a factor analysis of the data. RESULTS: Male and female grou ps were comparable for the demographic variables of age, education, an d duration of dementia, as well as severity of depression, degree of c ognitive impairment and overall severity of behavior disturbance. Amon g the six behavior factors that were defined, two were significantly r elated to gender. One factor, which included apathy and vegetative sig ns, was related to male gender; a second factor, which included reclus iveness and emotional lability, was related to female gender. CONCLUSI ONS: Although overall severity of behavior disturbance in Alzheimer's disease may be related primarily to severity of dementia, significant differences in the types of behaviors manifested exist between males a nd females with the disease.