Abstract | OBJECTIVE: Distinguishing a dementia syndrome from a primary psychiatric disease in younger patients can be challenging and may lead to diagnostic change over time. The investigators aimed to examine diagnostic stability in a cohort of patients with younger-onset neurocognitive disorders. METHODS: RESULTS: Among 127 patients, 49 (39%) had a change in their initial diagnoses during the follow-up period. Behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) was the least stable diagnosis, followed by dementia not otherwise specified and mild cognitive impairment. Compared with patients with a stable diagnosis, those who changed exhibited a higher cognitive score at baseline, a longer follow-up period, greater delay to final diagnosis, and no family history of dementia. Patients whose diagnosis changed from a neurodegenerative to a psychiatric diagnosis were more likely to have a long psychiatric history, while those whose diagnosis changed from a psychiatric to a neurodegenerative one had a recent manifestation of psychiatric symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Misdiagnosis of younger patients with neurocognitive disorders is not uncommon, especially in cases of bvFTD. Late-onset psychiatric symptoms may be the harbinger to a neurodegenerative disease. Close follow-up and monitoring of these patients are necessary.
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Authors | Paraskevi Tsoukra, Dennis Velakoulis, Pierre Wibawa, Charles B Malpas, Mark Walterfang, Andrew Evans, Sarah Farrand, Wendy Kelso, Dhamidhu Eratne, Samantha M Loi |
Journal | The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences
(J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci)
Vol. 34
Issue 1
Pg. 44-52
( 2022)
ISSN: 1545-7222 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 34538074
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Topics |
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Frontotemporal Dementia
- Humans
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Neuropsychological Tests
- Retrospective Studies
- Syndrome
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