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Neuropsychiatric symptoms and global functional impairment along the Alzheimer's continuum
Wadsworth LP, Lorius N, Donovan NJ, Locascio JJ, Rentz DM, Johnson KA, Sperling RA, Marshall GA.. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 2012-08-28
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background/aims Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly prevalent. We sought to determine whether neuropsychiatric symptoms were related to global functional impairment at baseline and over a 3-year period in older normal control (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild AD dementia subjects. Methods Eight hundred and twelve subjects (229 NC, 395 MCI, 188 AD) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study underwent cognitive and behavioral assessments over 3 years. Results Greater hallucinations, anxiety and apathy were associated with greater global functional impairment at baseline, while the presence of hallucinations and apathy at baseline was associated with greater global functional impairment over time across all subjects. The following neuropsychiatric symptoms were not significantly associated with global functioning: delusions, agitation, depression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor behaviors, sleep and appetite. Conclusions These results suggest that increased baseline hallucinations, apathy and anxiety are associated with current and future disease progression in AD.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Wadsworth, L. P., Lorius, N., Donovan, N. J., Locascio, J. J., Rentz, D. M., Johnson, K. A., et al. (2012). Neuropsychiatric symptoms and global functional impairment along the Alzheimer's continuum. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. https://doi.org/10.1159/000342119
Vancouver
Wadsworth LP, Lorius N, Donovan NJ, Locascio JJ, Rentz DM, Johnson KA, et al. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and global functional impairment along the Alzheimer's continuum. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. 2012. doi:10.1159/000342119. PMID: 22922821.
BibTeX
@article{wadsworth2012-22922821,
author = {Wadsworth, L. P. and Lorius, N. and Donovan, N. J. and Locascio, J. J. and Rentz, D. M. and Johnson, K. A. and Sperling, R. A. and Marshall, G. A.},
title = {{Neuropsychiatric symptoms and global functional impairment along the Alzheimer's continuum}},
journal = {Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1159/000342119},
pmid = {22922821},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000342119}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Greater hallucinations, anxiety and apathy were associated with greater global functional impairment at baseline, while the presence of hallucinations and apathy at baseline was associated with greater global functional impairment over time across all subjects.
- The following neuropsychiatric symptoms were not significantly associated with global functioning: delusions, agitation, depression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor behaviors, sleep and appetite.
- Conclusions These results suggest that increased baseline hallucinations, apathy and anxiety are associated with current and future disease progression in AD.
Why it matters
In 812 older adults followed for three years, hallucinations, anxiety and apathy were associated with greater functional impairment at the start and over time, while delusions, agitation, depression and several other symptoms were not significantly associated with global functioning. These findings describe which symptoms track with disease progression but do not show that treating them changes the course of Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders: journal h-index 149 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 138 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.6 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gad A. Marshall: h-index 75 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22922821) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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