Engelborghs Sebastiaan, Maertens Karen, Mariën Peter, Vloeberghs Ellen, Somers Nore, Nagels Guy, De Deyn Peter P
Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, Middelheim General Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
Psychol Med. 2006 Aug;36(8):1173-82. doi: 10.1017/S003329170600777X. Epub 2006 May 15.
In order to characterize frontal lobe features and their behavioural and cognitive correlates across diagnostic categories, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of behavioural and neuropsychological data from a large, prospective Belgian study on behavioural and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
Patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n=170), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (n=28), mixed dementia (MXD) (n=29) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (n=21) were included and underwent neuropsychological and behavioural assessment by means of a battery of tests and scales. Frontal lobe symptoms were quantified by means of the Middelheim Frontality Score (MFS).
In AD (and to a lesser extent in MXD), MFS total scores were negatively correlated with scores on MMSE (Spearman: r=-0.36, p<0.001) and a Verbal Fluency Task (r=-0.38, p<0.001) and were associated with increased severity and frequency of psychosis (r=0.24, p<0.01), activity disturbances (r=0.44, p<0.001) and aggressiveness (r=0.43, p<0.001). In DLB, MFS total scores were negatively correlated with MMSE scores (r=-0.50, p=0.020). No associations were found in FTD patients.
A cross-sectional analysis of frontal lobe features, behavioural characteristics and neuropsychological data demonstrated that, in AD (and to a lesser extent in MXD) patients, frontal lobe symptoms were associated with more pronounced cognitive deficits (of frontal origin), with increased severity and frequency of agitated and aggressive behaviour, and with increased severity of psychosis and depressive symptoms. Given the small sample sizes of the DLB and FTD patient groups, negative findings in these patient groups should be interpreted cautiously.
为了描述不同诊断类别中额叶特征及其行为和认知相关性，我们对一项关于痴呆行为和心理症状（BPSD）的大型前瞻性比利时研究中的行为和神经心理学数据进行了横断面分析。
纳入可能患有阿尔茨海默病（AD）（n = 170）、额颞叶痴呆（FTD）（n = 28）、混合性痴呆（MXD）（n = 29）和路易体痴呆（DLB）（n = 21）的患者，并通过一系列测试和量表进行神经心理学和行为评估。通过米德尔海姆额叶评分（MFS）对额叶症状进行量化。
在AD患者中（在MXD患者中程度较轻），MFS总分与简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）得分（斯皮尔曼相关性：r = -0.36，p < 0.001）和言语流畅性任务得分（r = -0.38，p < 0.001）呈负相关，并且与精神病严重程度和频率增加（r = 0.24，p < 0.01）、活动障碍（r = 0.44，p < 0.001）和攻击性（r = 0.43，p < 0.001）相关。在DLB患者中，MFS总分与MMSE得分呈负相关（r = -0.50，p = 0.020）。在FTD患者中未发现相关性。
对额叶特征、行为特征和神经心理学数据的横断面分析表明，在AD患者（在MXD患者中程度较轻）中，额叶症状与更明显的认知缺陷（源于额叶）、激越和攻击行为的严重程度和频率增加以及精神病和抑郁症状的严重程度增加相关。鉴于DLB和FTD患者组样本量较小，这些患者组的阴性结果应谨慎解释。
