RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE STATUS AND BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE AND MIXED DEMENTIA

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cognitive and behav ioral impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to examine whether t he addition of cerebrovascular disease modifies that relationship. Des ign: Correlational analysis. Setting: An outpatient dementia clinic. P atients: An autopsy-confirmed series of 28 patients with AD and 16 pat ients with mixed Alzheimer and vascular dementia (MIX). Measurements: Neuropsychological and behavioral tests during life: Mini-Mental State (MMS), Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS), Haycox Dementia Behavior Scale ( HDBS) and two non-cognitive functional scales derived from the BDS and HDBS. Results: In the AD group, MMS scores correlated significantly w ith scores on the BDS, HDBS, and two non-cognitive functional scales. In the MIX group, however, no significant relationship was observed be tween MMS scores and scores on any of the behavioral measures. Conclus ions: These observations suggest that in AD, cognitive and behavioral impairments progress simultaneously. However, with the addition of a v ascular component to the dementing process, cognitive and behavioral i mpairments may progress more independently.