Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry

노인정신의학

pISSN 1226-6329 / eISSN 2733-4600


노인정신의학

대한노인정신의학회 (2권1호 73-77)

Relationship between Severity of Dementia and Behavioral Psychopathology in Probable Alzheimer's Disease

알쯔하이머형 치매의심 노인에서 행동 정신병리와 치매 정도와의 관계

윤정현(Jung Hyun Yoon);기백석(Baik Seok Kee);남범우(Bum Woo Nam);김상국(Sang Kook Kim)

Abstract

Behavioral problems are thought to be pervasive and devasting to patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type and their families. Despite this, little empirical data are available concerning the nature of such impairments, their rate of occurrence or their relationship to the disease process. This study was designed to investigate the nature and the rates of behavioral disturbance among DAT patients. The subjects involved in this study were 72 patients who were hospitalized and had primary diagnosis of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Severity of the dementia was assessed by MMSE, and abnormal behavior by E-BEHAVE-AD. Pearson correalation was used to analysis data. The subjects were divided into mild/moderate dementia group and severe, and then evaluated significant differences. Independent-samples T-test was used to analysis data. The results were as follows: 1) Wandering and delusional ideation were associated with declining MMSE score 2) Wandering was only differenciated between mild to moderate group. In conclusion, problems found associated with level of impairment such as wandering and delusion are thought to be characteristic of the disease and therefore predictable. Problems found not associated with level of impairment, are likely to be idiosyncratic. The former should probably be incorporated into education and intervention programs, the latter addressed as needed on an individual basis.

Keywords

치매,알쯔하이머병,행동,정신병리, Dementia,Alzheimer's disease,Behavior,Psychopathology