Correlation between psychological-behavioral disorders and cognitive and functional deficit is in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia (about 50 to 70% of cases), affecting more than 35 million people. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the excessive accumulation of amyloid B-proteins and hyper phosphorylated tau in the brain, which occurs initially in the neurons of the medial temporal lobe and the pyramidal cells of the cortex. Over time, the consequence of this abnormal protein buildup is neuronal death and synaptic failure due to the toxicity generated. The diagnosis of AD is based on the clinical criteria of dementia, with affection of at least two of the five major cognitive domains (memory, executive functions, language, visuospatial abilities and personality), together with the presence of AD pathology. Symptoms involve cognitive deficits related to the domains in question and also neuropsychiatric symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, depression, apathy, anxiety, perambulation, agitation, aggression and emotional lability. Rationale: Projections indicate that by 2050 more than 115 million people will be diagnosed with the disease, which reinforces the importance of increasing research that aims not only to discover the pathogenesis and to seek new therapeutic methods for the disease, but also to help in the elaboration of new and improved strategies to make the quality of life of patients with AD and their caregivers the best possible during the course of the disease. Objectives: The objective of this project is to evaluate the psychological-behavioral symptoms of patients with AD at different stages of evolution, correlating them with cognitive and functional deficits and the impacts generated in the patient and caregiver. Methodology: Through a comprehensive evaluation including the medical history and detailed history of the patient, the mini-mental status examination, the CDR scale, the Pfeffer questionnaire and the Neuropsychiatric inventory, about 40 patients from the neuropsychology and dementia clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas of Unicamp will be studied, for a future quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data obtained.