Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Psychosis: An Overview of Clinical Manifestations, Pathogenesis, and Current Treatment

Amira Y. Benmelouka, Yassamine Ouerdane, Oumaima Outani, Yusra T. Alnasser, Badrah S. Alghamdi, Asma Perveen, Ghulam Md Ashraf*, Mahmoud Ahmed Ebada*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Behavioral and psychotic manifestations, including aggression, delusions, and hallucinations, are frequent comorbidities in patients with debilitating nervous illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. AD-related psychosis may be linked to a poor disease prognosis, highlighting that early detection and management are mandatory. The manifestations are variable and may be very heterogeneous, imposing a real diagnostic issue. Some assessment tools such as BEHAVE-AD, CERAD-BRSD, and the Psycho-Sensory Hallucinations Scale have been designed to facilitate the diagnosis. The mechanisms behind neurodegeneration-related psychosis are complex and are not fully understood, imposing a burden on researchers to find appropriate management modalities. Familial history and some genetic disturbances may have a determinant role in these delusions and hallucinations in cases with AD. The loss of neuronal cells, atrophy in some regions of the central nervous, and synaptic dysfunction may also contribute to these comorbidities. Furthermore, inflammatory disturbances triggered by pro-inflammatory agents such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factors are stratified among the potential risk factors for the onset of numerous psychotic symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients. Little is known about the possible management tools; therefore, it is urgent to conduct well-designed trials to investigate pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that can improve the care process of these patients. This review summarizes the current findings regarding the AD-related psychosis symptoms, pathological features, assessment, and management.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)285-301
Number of pages17
JournalCurrent Alzheimer Research
Volume19
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • assessment
  • dementia
  • management
  • pathogenesis
  • psychosis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Psychosis: An Overview of Clinical Manifestations, Pathogenesis, and Current Treatment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this