Prevalence and correlates of the catastrophic reaction in Alzheimer's disease.

We examined the prevalence of the catastrophic reaction (CR) in 146 patients with Alzheimer's disease. Sixteen percent showed a CR during the neuropsychological evaluation. A factor analysis of the CR scale demonstrated an anxious/angry factor that was significantly associated with higher irritability scores and a longer duration of illness, as well as a depressive factor that was significantly associated with more severe cognitive impairments and older age.