Brain structural correlations of behavioural and psychological symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease

Objective

Behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) are present in almost all patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), although their underlying neurobiology is not yet well understood.
The aim of this study is to analyse the correlations of BPSDs with white and grey matter damage in the brain of patients with AD.

Appraisal

Magnetic resonance studies will be carried out to obtain volumetric measurements of total cerebral atrophy, hippocampal volume and hyperintensities in periventricular, deep, infratentorial white matter and base nodes. Various measures will be taken: Mini-Mental State Examination, Global Deterioration Scale, Semantic Fluency and Phonological Fluency to assess the cognitive and functional state and Neuropsychiatric Inventory to assess behavioural symptoms.

Location

Day Hospital of the Andalusian Institute for Neurosciences.

Principal investigators:

José María García-Alberca

Andalusian Institute for Neuroscience.

Natalia García Casares

Center for Medical-Sanitary Research (CIMES). University of Malaga.

Status:

In progress.