Correlation between both Morphologic and Functional Changes and Anxiety in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Although anxiety symptoms are often observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), little attention has been paid to this symptom compared with other neuropsychiatric symptoms. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with mild AD underwent both magnetic resonance imaging and single photon emission tomography with technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated using the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (Behave-AD). We investigated the relationship between anxiety and neuroimaging using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software. RESULTS: The Behave-AD anxiety score was correlated with hyperperfusion in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortices and a reduction in the gray matter volume in the right precuneus and inferior parietal lobule. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that anxiety in AD could overlap with the neural correlates of anxiety disorders, and that the specific degeneration associated with AD might be associated with anxiety.