Alzheimer's disease first symptoms are age dependent: Evidence from the NACC dataset

Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Nov;11(11):1349-57. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.12.007. Epub 2015 Apr 24.

Abstract

Introduction: Determining the relationship between age and Alzheimer's disease (AD) presentation is important to improve understanding and provide better patient services.

Methods: We used AD patient data (N = 7815) from the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center database and multinomial logistic regression to investigate presentation age and first cognitive/behavioral symptoms.

Results: The odds of having a nonmemory first cognitive symptom (including impairment in judgment and problem solving, language, and visuospatial function) increased with younger age (P < .001, all tests). Compared with apathy/withdrawal, the odds of having depression and "other" behavioral symptoms increased with younger age (P < .02, both tests), whereas the odds of having psychosis and no behavioral symptom increased with older age (P < .001, both tests).

Discussion: There is considerable heterogeneity in the first cognitive/behavioral symptoms experienced by AD patients. Proportions of these symptoms change with age with patients experiencing increasing nonmemory cognitive symptoms and more behavioral symptoms at younger ages.

Keywords: Age; Alzheimer's disease; Behavior; Clinical neurology history; Cognition; First symptoms; Neuropsychology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Alzheimer Disease / epidemiology*
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
  • Alzheimer Disease / psychology
  • Behavior
  • Cognition
  • Databases, Factual
  • Datasets as Topic
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • United States / epidemiology