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

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

Josephine Barnes  1 , Bradford C Dickerson  2 , Chris Frost  3 , Lize C Jiskoot  4 , David Wolk  5 , Wiesje M van der Flier  6
Affiliations

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

Josephine Barnes et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Nov.

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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Age at first presentation and first predominant cognitive symptom
Percentages are given above colored bars for each symptom group where ≥ 2%
Figure 2
Figure 2. Age at first presentation and first predominant behavioral symptom
Percentages are given above colored bars for each symptom group where ≥ 2%
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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