Verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease. Clinical, functional and neuropsychological correlates

Objectives To determine the clinical, functional and neuropsychological cor relates of verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease in a group of consecuti ve first attendees to a memory clinic. Methods 150 people were evaluated and diagnosed as suffering with probable Alzheimer's disease. These people were tested using the Behave-AD for the p resence of verbal aggression, delusions, depression and agitation. They wer e also assessed with cognitive, functional and neuropsychological scales. Results Twenty-eight percent of this group of Alzheimer patients had exhibi ted some verbal aggression in the preceding. month. Male gender (p = 0.022) , the presence of paranoid and delusional ideation (p = 0.003) and agitatio n (p = 0.042) were significantly associated with verbal aggression in a ste pwise backward logistic regression analysis. Conclusion The presence of verbal aggression should prompt the clinician to search for delusional ideation, which may respond to phamacotherapy. Copyr ight (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.