Caregiver's distress is associated with delusions in Alzheimer's patients.

Behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's (AD) patients might be caused by environmental factors. The authors tested the hypothesis that delusions in AD might be a result of caregiver's distress. Participants were 22 delusional and 21 nondelusional mild AD patients and their caregivers.

Grouping for behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia: clinical and biological aspects. Consensus paper of the European Alzheimer disease consortium.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), constitute a major clinical component of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a growing interest in BPSD as they are responsible for a large share of the suffering of patients and caregivers, and they strongly determine the patient's lifestyle and management. Better detection and understanding of these symptoms is essential to provide appropriate management.

Brain volumes in healthy adults aged 40 years and over: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Background And Aims: Gender and age effect on brain morphology have been extensively investigated. However, the great variety in methods applied to morphology partly explain the conflicting results of linear patterns of tissue changes and lateral asymmetry in men and women. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of age, gender and laterality on the volumes of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in a large group of healthy adults by means of voxel-based morphometry.

Prescription and choice of diagnostic imaging by physician specialty in Alzheimer's Centers (Unità di Valutazione Alzheimer - UVA) in Northern Italy.

Background And Aims: Physician's specialty has been shown to have an effect on health outcomes and financial expenditure in a number of conditions. This is particularly true in the differential diagnosis of cognitive deterioration, in which technological procedures are needed. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of physician specialty on the prescription of diagnostic imaging (CT and MR) in patients with cognitive impairment, referred to Alzheimer Evaluation Units (Unità di Valutazione Alzheimer) in Northern Italy.

Effect of high climate temperature on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate if high climate temperature could have a negative effect on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Design: We conducted a retrospective study.

Setting And Patients: Six patients discharged from the "Richiedei" Alzheimer Rehabilitation Unit-Italy during a period of very high climate temperature (June 14-21, 2002, 30.

Differential associations of Head and Body Symptoms with depression and physical comorbidity in patients with cognitive impairment.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that physical symptoms referred to the head might be specifically associated with depression in patients with cognitive impairment.

Methods: Subjects were taken from those enrolled in 'The Mild Project' a prospective study on the natural history of mild dementia (Mini Mental State Examination > or = 18) and with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment. A total of 129 subjects were included in the study.