Frequency of SCID‐5‐RV psychiatric symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias vs. older adults

Compared to older adults without dementia, the AD/ADRD group endorsed more frequent sleep problems, including fatigue, excessive sleepiness, daytime napping, prolonged nonrestorative sleep, and difficulty waking (all p < .05). Depression-related symptoms were among the most endorsed within both groups, but the ADRD group had more frequent depressed mood, anhedonia, avolition, feelings of guilt (all p < .05). Notably, suicidality was present in 10% of the AD/ADRD group and 0% of controls (p < .05). While the AD/ADRD group reported more anxiety in terms of worry, irritability, restlessness, and muscle tension, controls exhibited more panic and phobia symptoms (all p < .05). The AD/ADRD group also reported more psychomotor agitation and verbal aggression (p < .05), and, unsurprisingly, more difficulties thinking and concentrating (p < .05). Overall, this points to psychiatric phenotypes in AD/ADRD CONCLUSION: The results highlight important differences between reported psychiatric symptoms in those with AD/ADRD compared to unimpaired older adults. These findings can be used to develop measures that capture relevant neuropsychiatric constructs for use in neurodegenerative populations, and suggest specific symptoms that comprise psychiatric phenotypes that might point to pathological vs. normal aging.