Abstract
The authors extended previous studies of the stage-specific prevalence of behavioral pathology to members of ethnic minority groups. Behavioral symptoms and their relationship to severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were examined in 125 heterogeneous minority elderly patients interviewed with a modified CERAD protocol with behavioral symptoms scored on the caregiver- rated BEHAVE-AD Rating Scale. Behavioral disturbances were extremely common, occurring in 98% of the sample; the most common was activity disturbances (89%), followed by paranoid and delusional ideation (72%), aggressivity (64%), anxieties and phobias (61%), depressive symptoms (50%), sleep disturbances (43%), and hallucinations (34%). As in white patients, overall behavioral symptoms were most frequent among patients with moderate and severe dementia. Preliminary evidence supports the possibility, of ethnic differences in behavioral profiles; Blacks showed lower affective, anxiety, and sleep symptoms than Asians and Hispanics, and lower total BEHAVE-AD scores than Hispanics. Inquiry in larger, population-based samples will be needed to determine whether the ethnic differences in behavioral symptoms of AD found here are robust and replicable.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 123-133 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (Alzheimer's Disease Research Center [P50 AG 051336] Satellite Core, [S Borson, P.I.]), Geriatric Academic Program (J Chen; S Borson), a Pfizer/American Geriatric Society Fellowship in Geriatric Research (J Chen; S Borson), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (Respite Care Demonstration Project for Underserved Elders with Alzheimer's Disease, Washington State Aging and Adult Services Administration).