Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease

 
   Lead Investigator:    Joesph Cooper
   Institution      :    Northwestern
   E-Mail           :    joseph-cooper@northwestern.edu
   Proposal ID      :    121



   Proposal Description:
   Abstract: The question I propose to investigate is what impact neuropsychiatric symptoms have on the course of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). My main hypothesis is that the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms, as measured by items on the brief questionnaire form of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), predicts a shorter time to death in AD. My secondary hypotheses are that NPI-Q items are associated with shorter time to nursing home placement, increased rate of disease progression as measured by the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR),  increased use of antipsychotic medications, and with subjects who have an E4 allele of ApoE geneotype