Natural history and neuropathologic correlates of psychotic symptoms in
Alzheimers disease
 
   Lead Investigator:    Daniel Talmasov
   Institution      :    NYU
   E-Mail           :     
   Proposal ID      :    1580



   Proposal Description:
   Goal: Correlate peri-mortem psychotic symtoms (delusions and hallucinations on NPI-Q) with Braak and Thal phase in autopsy-confirmed Alzheimers disease, and role of secondary pathology.                                                     Hypothesis: Psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) in Alzheimers     disease correlate more closely with hyperphosphorylated tau desposition than     with amyloid plaque burden, and manifests after patients progress from MCI to dementia. Delusions arise earlier than hallucinations, and both correlate with neocortical involvement of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, are present most ommonly in Braak stages V-VI, and are associated with lower neocortical         volumes on MRI, especially in frontal cortex. Patients in whom psychotic         symptoms arise at earlier functional stages of dementia are more likely to       exhibit secondary pathology on autopsy, including alpha-synuclein deposition     and a higher vascular disease burden.