Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Mexican clinical and community based‐study

Abstract Background The neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common clinical manifestation in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Global prevalence of 35%‐85% is estimated, though there are inconsistencies across the studies. There are reports of its prevalence in clinical and community‐based studies but few comparisons between them. Methods Restrospective and cross‐sectional study design. A total of 86 patients with amnestic MCI, aged 65 years or older were included. Of these, 27 were a tertiary hospital clinical sample and 59 from a population‐based study, from the 10/66 Dementia Research Group protocols. We described and compared sociodemographic, comorbidity and neuropsychiatric symptoms data, last ones measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI‐Q). Aim was to compare the frequency of NPS, its severity and caregiver distress between samples. Results The most frecuent NPS in both populations were depression, anxiety and irritability with no differences between samples. Apathy was more prevalent in clinical sample versus community‐based (33.3% vs 8.47%, p: 0.009). The most severe NPS were anxiety, nightime behaviors and delusions with no differences among samples. Appetite/eating disorders had a moderate to severe caregiver distress but no differences were found. Conclusion The results of this study are consistent with the international literature as depression been the most frecuente NPS in aMCI. Only apathy was found more prevalent in clinical community but no relation with higher severity and caregiver distress.