P3‐101: Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms among older adults in the united states: The aging, demographics, and memory study
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in older adults with cognitive impairment and may be associated with increased caregiver burden, early institutionalization, and mortality. Our goal was to estimate the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms by cognitive status using a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. We used data from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS, N=856, mean age=81.5, representing 24.4 million Americans aged 71 or older), a sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) focused on cognitive impairment and dementia. From the ADAMS, we obtained the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, agitation, depression, apathy, elation, anxiety, disinhibition, irritation, and aberrant motor behaviors) as reported by an informant using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Cognitive function was categorized into 3 groups (normal cognition, cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), and dementia) by the ADAMS consensus expert panel. ADAMS sampling weights were used to estimate the national prevalence of symptoms. 30% of U.S. adults aged 71 or older had at least one neuropsychiatric symptom (18% of those with normal cognition, 44% of those with CIND, and 57% of those with dementia, P-value <0.001). The prevalence of most symptoms was higher in those with CIND or dementia compared to those with normal cognition (P value <0.01 for all symptoms except elation and anxiety). Depression (12% in normal cognition, 28% in dementia) was the most common symptom in all cognitive categories. The prevalence of delusions (18%), hallucinations (15%) and aberrant motor behaviors (17%) in those with dementia was remarkably high compared to the low prevalence in those with CIND (4%, 2%, and 2%, respectively) or normal cognition (1%, 0% and 0%, respectively). The prevalence of hallucinations and aberrant motor behavior was significantly higher in women than men despite similar prevalence of CIND and dementia. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common among older adults in the U.S. and are associated with poorer cognitive function. Psychotic symptoms and aberrant motor behaviors may be more characteristic for dementia compared to the other symptoms.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2087099534