DELUSIONS OF THEFT IN DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Delusions of theft are commonly found in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). This report describes the frequency, onset, and characteristics of delusions of theft in DAT patients. The sample con sisted of 54 geropsychiatric inpatients with DAT; delusions of theft w ere found in 30 (55.6%) patients. Two thirds of these patients had del usions of theft within 1 year after onset of illness. There were no si gnificant differences in age, age of onset, duration of disease, years of education, or the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score betwe en patients with and without delusions of theft. Delusions of theft fr equently occur in the early stage of dementia, when the patients' cogn itive impairments are relatively mild. The presence of this symptom ma y warrant a diagnosis of DAT.