Neuropsychiatric profile of Alzheimer's disease with hallucinations

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of hallucinations in patients with AD and to assess its associated clinic-demographic and neuropsychiatric profile. Three hundred and eighty-one patients collected within the National Institute of Mental Health Genetics Initiative were included. Characteristics of hallucinators and non-hallucinators were compared by logistic regression. One hundred sixty-nine (44.4%) patients were hallucinators. Hallucinators presented a more severe AD than non-hallucinators with a lower MMSE (10.6 ± 8.9 versus 14.6 ± 8.9; OR 0.9; 95%CI 0.92–0.97; p-value < 0.001) and a higher CDRS (2.7 ± 1.0 versus 2.4 ± 1.1; OR 1.2; 95%CI 1.01–1.44; p-value 0.035). Hallucinators presented a more severe neuropsychological profile, characterised by apathy, verbal and physical aggressivity, and wandering. Hallucinations may represent a clinically useful tool for identifying patients who may require more intensive interventions.