Psychotic and behavioural symptoms in a population-based sample of the very elderly subjects

The factors associated with the presence of psychotic symptoms in the HELIAD Greek community study of older adults

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and associated factors related to psychotic symptoms in older adults are understudied. The objectives were to assess the prevalence, incidence and factors associated with psychotic symptoms in a representative Greek sample of community living older adults.

METHODS

The sample includes n = 1,904 residents of the cities of Larissa and Maroussi in Greece participating in the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet study with available data at baseline and n = 947 individuals at the 3-year follow-up. Past-month presence of delusions and hallucinations was assessed on the grounds of the 17 symptoms of the Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease and 14 symptoms of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment for probable diagnosis of dementia and physical comorbidity was carried out by neurologists. Penalized logistic regression analyses were used to assess the socio-economic and clinical factors associated with psychotic symptoms.

RESULTS

Past-month prevalence of psychotic symptoms was 1.9% and 1.0% when excluding cases of dementia. The prevalence of any delusion and hallucination was 0.8% and 0.3% when excluding dementia. The incidence of psychotic symptoms without dementia was 1.3%. Recent widows and farmers/breeders/craftsmen, versus public servants/teachers/executives, had both six times the odds of experiencing psychotic symptoms without dementia. Hearing impairment and the number of health conditions also increased the odds while increased age was protective.

CONCLUSION

Psychotic symptoms unrelated to dementia constitute a considerable mental health problem in old age. Paranoid delusions were the most prevalent. Socio-economic and health status factors are significant predictors of psychotic symptoms.

Terminology and assessment tools of psychosis: A systematic narrative review

AIM

Phenomena within the psychosis continuum that varies in frequency/duration/intensity have been increasingly identified. Different terms describe these phenomena, however there is no standardization within the terminology. This review evaluated the definitions and assessment tools of seven terms - (i) 'psychotic experiences'; (ii) 'psychotic-like experiences'; (iii) 'psychotic-like symptoms'; (iv) 'attenuated psychotic symptoms'; (v) 'prodromal psychotic symptoms'; (vi) 'psychotic symptomatology'; and (vii) 'psychotic symptoms'.

METHODS

EMBASE, MEDLINE, and CINAHL were searched during February-March 2019. Inclusion criteria included 1989-2019, full text, human, and English. Papers with no explicit definition or assessment tool, duplicates, conference abstracts, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or no access were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 2238 papers were identified and of these, 627 were included. Definitions and assessment tools varied, but some trends were found. Psychotic experiences and psychotic-like experiences were transient and mild, found in the general population and those at-risk. Psychotic-like symptoms were subthreshold and among at-risk populations and non-psychotic mental disorders. Attenuated psychotic symptoms were subthreshold but associated with distress, risk, and help-seeking. Prodromal psychotic symptoms referred to the prodrome of psychotic disorders. Psychotic symptomatology included delusions and hallucinations within psychotic disorders. Psychotic symptoms was the broadest term, encompassing a range of populations but most commonly involving hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorganization.

DISCUSSION

A model for conceptualizing the required terms is proposed and future directions needed to advance this field of research are discussed.

Prevalence of psychotic symptoms among older adults in an Asian population

BACKGROUND

Psychotic symptoms are common among older adults and are seen in a wide range of conditions. Most studies examining the prevalence and correlates of psychotic symptoms among older adults have been conducted in Western populations. To address this gap the current study was undertaken to establish the prevalence and correlates of psychotic symptoms and paranoid ideation within a community sample of older adults without dementia in an Asian population.

METHODS

The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study was a comprehensive single phase, cross-sectional survey. All respondents were assessed using the Geriatric Mental State examination (GMS). Specific questions of the GMS were then used to establish the prevalence of hallucinations and persecutory delusions.

RESULTS

A total of 2,565 respondents completed the study giving a response rate of 65.6%. The prevalence of any psychotic symptoms in this population of older adults was 5.2%. The odds of hallucinations and any psychotic symptoms were significantly higher among those of Malay ethnicity, and those who had no formal education. Older adults aged 75-84 years were significantly associated with lower odds of having hallucinations (vs. older adult aged 60-74 years), while homemaker status was significantly associated with lower odds of having any psychotic symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of psychotic symptoms among older Asian adults without dementia was higher than that reported from Western countries. Psychotic symptoms were associated with Malay ethnicity, poor cognitive performance and fewer years of schooling, visual and hearing impairment as well as depression and irritability.

Psychotic symptoms in older people without dementia from a Brazilian community-based sample

BACKGROUND

The international prevalence of psychotic symptoms in older subjects without dementia varies from 0.9% to 8.0%. However, an analysis of these symptoms in developing countries has not been undertaken.

AIMS

To determine the prevalence and to correlate these symptoms with socioeconomic and clinical characteristics.

METHOD

A community-based sample aged 60 years and older was evaluated. Those who screened positive for dementia, cognitive and functional impairment or significant depressive symptoms were excluded, resulting in 1125 individuals.

RESULTS

The prevalence of psychotic symptoms was 9.1% (visual/tactile hallucinations, 7.8%; auditive hallucinations, 7.5%; persecutory delusions, 2.9%). Subjects with psychotic symptoms had lower Mini Mental State Examination and The Bayer Activities of Daily Living Scale scores, fewer years of schooling, belonged to lower socioeconomic classes compared with non-psychotic subjects, and 80% had clinical comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence was in the upper range of international data. Significant relationships were found between psychotic symptoms and lower Mini Mental State Examination score, fewer years of schooling and lower socioeconomic class. Clinical comorbidity was also very frequent.

Paranoid symptoms and hallucinations among the older people in Western Europe

OBJECTIVE

It is not clear whether the prevalence of psychosis increases with age. We studied the age-specific prevalence of psychotic symptoms in older people in Western Europe.

METHODS

Older people without dementia (age 65-104 years, N = 8762) from the western part of Europe in the EURODEP concerted action took part in psychiatric examinations.

RESULTS

In total, 2.4% of the men and 2.9% of the women had psychotic symptoms. Using a multilevel logistic regression model that included gender and age as a continuous variable, we found that a 5-year increase in age increased the prevalence of psychotic symptoms (odds ratio 1.2 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.3, p = 0.001). A second multilevel regression model showed that wishing to be dead, depressed mood, functional disability, not being married and cognitive impairment measured with Mini mental state examination were all associated with psychotic symptoms whereas gender was not.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of psychotic symptoms in non-demented older people increases with age, and these symptoms are associated with other psychopathology, social isolation and problems with daily living.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), also known as neuropsychiatric symptoms, represent a heterogeneous group of non-cognitive symptoms and behaviors occurring in subjects with dementia. BPSD constitute a major component of the dementia syndrome irrespective of its subtype. They are as clinically relevant as cognitive symptoms as they strongly correlate with the degree of functional and cognitive impairment. BPSD include agitation, aberrant motor behavior, anxiety, elation, irritability, depression, apathy, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, and sleep or appetite changes. It is estimated that BPSD affect up to 90% of all dementia subjects over the course of their illness, and is independently associated with poor outcomes, including distress among patients and caregivers, long-term hospitalization, misuse of medication, and increased health care costs. Although these symptoms can be present individually it is more common that various psychopathological features co-occur simultaneously in the same patient. Thus, categorization of BPSD in clusters taking into account their natural course, prognosis, and treatment response may be useful in the clinical practice. The pathogenesis of BPSD has not been clearly delineated but it is probably the result of a complex interplay of psychological, social, and biological factors. Recent studies have emphasized the role of neurochemical, neuropathological, and genetic factors underlying the clinical manifestations of BPSD. A high degree of clinical expertise is crucial to appropriately recognize and manage the neuropsychiatric symptoms in a patient with dementia. Combination of non-pharmacological and careful use of pharmacological interventions is the recommended therapeutic for managing BPSD. Given the modest efficacy of current strategies, there is an urgent need to identify novel pharmacological targets and develop new non-pharmacological approaches to improve the adverse outcomes associated with BPSD.