| Abstract: |
Objective: To investigate the relationship between cognitive and behavioral impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to examine whether the addition of cerebrovascular disease modifies that relationship. Design: Correlational analysis. Setting: An outpatient dementia clinic. Patients: An autopsy‐confirmed series of 28 patients with AD and 16 patients with mixed Alzheimer and vascular dementia (MIX). Measurements: Neuropsychological and behavioral tests during life: Mini‐Mental State (MMS), Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS), Haycox Dementia Behavior Scale (HDBS), and two non‐cognitive functional scales derived from the BDS and HDBS. Results: In the AD group, MMS scores correlated significantly with scores on the BDS, HDBS, and two non‐cognitive functional scales. In the MIX group, however, no significant relationship was observed between MMS scores and scores on any of the behavioral measures. Conclusions: These observations suggest that in AD, cognitive and behavioral impairments progress simultaneously. However, with the addition of a vascular component to the dementing process, cognitive and behavioral impairments may progress more independently. 1993 The American Geriatrics Society |
