Behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: phenomenology and treatment.

TLDR

Limited information is available regarding the incidence, nature, and treatment of behavioral problems in Alzheimer's disease. The authors designed the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE‑AD) based on the characteristic phenomenology of these symptoms to aid prospective studies and pharmacologic trials. A chart review of 57 outpatients with Alzheimer’s disease was conducted to examine behavioral problems. Thirty‑three patients (58%) displayed significant behavioral symptoms, and thioridazine treatment produced a positive response in 15 of 27 patients (55.6%).

Abstract

Limited information is available regarding the incidence, nature, and treatment of behavioral problems in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A chart review of 57 outpatients with a diagnosis of AD was conducted to examine these issues. Thirty-three (58%) patients had significant behavioral symptomatology (most commonly delusions, nonspecific agitation, and diurnal rhythm disturbances). Twenty-seven were treated with thioridazine (10-250 mg/day), 15 (55.6%) of whom were judged to have a positive response (mean maximum dose = 55 mg/day). Information regarding the characteristic phenomenology of the behavioral symptoms studied was used to design a clinical rating instrument for AD patients, the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD), which should be useful in prospective studies of behavioral symptoms as well as in pharmacologic trials.