Negative symptoms, depression and Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: International journal of geriatric psychiatry Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 383 - 387
• Main Authors: Vercelletto, Martine, Martinez, Florence, Lanier, Sophie, Magne, Christine, Jaulin, Philippe, Bourin, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.04.2002; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - diagnostic imaging; Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis of Variance; APO E; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Depression; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - etiology; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Frontal Lobe - blood supply; Genotype; Humans; MADRS; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Mood Disorders - diagnosis; Mood Disorders - etiology; negative symptoms; Neurology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Human; Mood disorder; Nervous system diseases; Alzheimer disease; Neuropsychological test; Depression; Psychometrics; Epidemiology; Differential diagnostic; Cerebral disorder; Psychosis; Association; Negative symptom; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Elderly
• ISSN: 0885-6230; 1099-1166
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.620

Objectives To apply the negative symptoms (NS) concept used in schizophrenia to patients with AD, to compare the results with the frontal lobe perfusion in ethyl cysteinate dimmer (ECD) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and with the apolipoprotein E genotype. Method 32 patients with a diagnosis of probable AD were assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS‐N), the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), the NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Mini‐Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Each patient underwent ECD SPECT and APO E genotyping. PANSS‐N, MADRS, NPI, and MMSE were administered to 19 normal elderly control subjects. Results The mean PANSS‐N score for AD patients (20.56, SD: 8, range: 7–40) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of controls (7, SD: 0). MADRS scores were not significantly different (p = 0.75) between AD patients (9.03, SD: 6.14, range: 0–25) and controls (6.2, SD: 3.61, range: 1–15). The NPI apathy score (0–12) was correlated with PANSS‐N (p < 0.001). Correlation between prominent frontal hypoperfusion (six cases) and NS was at the limit of significance. No relation was found between epsilon E4 and NS. Conclusion This consideration is important in distinguishing between depression and AD. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.