Verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease. Clinical, functional and neuropsychological correlates

Objectives To determine the clinical, functional and neuropsychological correlates of verbal aggression in Alzheimer's disease in a group of consecutive first attendees to a memory clinic. Methods 150 people were evaluated and diagnosed as suffering with probable Alzheimer's disease. These people were tested using the Behave-AD for the presence of verbal aggression, delusions, depression and agitation. They were also assessed with cognitive, functional and neuropsychological scales. Results Twenty-eight percent of this group of Alzheimer patients had exhibited some verbal aggression in the preceding. month. Male gender (p = 0.022), the presence of paranoid and delusional ideation (p = 0.003) and agitation (p = 0.042) were significantly associated with verbal aggression in a stepwise backward logistic regression analysis. Conclusion The presence of verbal aggression should prompt the clinician to search for delusional ideation, which may respond to phamacotherapy. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.