Abstract
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) singleโphoton 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 (PANSSโN), the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), the NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the MiniโMental Status Examination (MMSE). Each patient underwent ECD SPECT and APO E genotyping. PANSSโN, MADRS, NPI, and MMSE were administered to 19 normal elderly control subjects.
Results
The mean PANSSโN score for AD patients (20.56, SD: 8, range: 7โ40) was significantly higher (pโ<โ0.001) than that of controls (7, SD: 0). MADRS scores were not significantly different (pโ=โ0.75) between AD patients (9.03, SD: 6.14, range: 0โ25) and controls (6.2, SD: 3.61, range: 1โ15). The NPI apathy score (0โ12) was correlated with PANSSโN (pโ<โ0.001). 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 ยฉ 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.