Pinto C, Panikker D, Deshpande N, Vas C J
Holy Family Hospital, Bandra (W), Mumbai-400 050.
J Assoc Physicians India. 2000 Apr;48(4):386-9.
To assess the frequency of behavioural disturbances in patients suffering from dementia and their relation to dementia severity.
The study evaluated 75 patients referred to the Memory Clinic at our hospital. Patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for dementia were included in the study. Activities of daily living (ADL) and cognitive functioning were also assessed. Patients were then rated for dementia severity using the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Clinical data regarding behavioural disturbances was obtained from the patient (where possible) and an informant (usually the primary caregiver) who had contact with the patient at least thrice a week.
Results showed that behavioural disturbances were present in more than 60% of the sample. Psychotic and activity associated disturbances were most common, and that these were seen more frequently in Alzheimer's disease than any other type of dementia. Further, these disturbances occurred most frequently in dementias of moderate severity but reduced as the dementia progressed further.
Our results indicate that behavioural disturbances are a prominent part of dementia and that judicious use of psychiatric medication should form an important aspect of management.
评估痴呆患者行为障碍的发生率及其与痴呆严重程度的关系。
本研究对我院记忆门诊转诊的75例患者进行了评估。符合DSM-IV痴呆标准的患者纳入研究。同时评估日常生活活动能力（ADL）和认知功能。然后使用临床痴呆评定量表对患者的痴呆严重程度进行评分。关于行为障碍的临床数据从患者（如果可能）以及每周至少与患者接触三次的 informant（通常是主要照顾者）处获得。
结果显示，超过60%的样本存在行为障碍。精神病性和与活动相关的障碍最为常见，且在阿尔茨海默病中比其他任何类型的痴呆更为常见。此外，这些障碍最常发生在中度痴呆患者中，但随着痴呆病情进一步发展而减少。
我们的结果表明，行为障碍是痴呆的一个突出部分，明智地使用精神科药物应成为管理的一个重要方面。
