NEUROLOGY 2004;63:975-982
© 2004 American Academy of Neurology
Motor signs during the course of Alzheimer disease
N. Scarmeas, MD,
G. M. Hadjigeorgiou, MD,
A. Papadimitriou, MD,
B. Dubois, MD,
M. Sarazin, MD,
J. Brandt, PhD,
M. Albert, PhD,
K. Marder, MD MPH,
K. Bell, MD,
L. S. Honig, MD PhD,
D. Wegesin, PhD and
Y. Stern, PhD
From the Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimers Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, and Department of Neurology (Drs. Scarmeas, Marder, Bell, Honig, Wegesin, and Stern), Columbia University Medical Center, New York, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dr. Brandt), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology (Dr. Albert), Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Department of Neurology (Drs. Dubois and Sarazin), Hospital de la Salpetriere, Paris, France; and Department of Neurology (Drs. Scarmeas, Hadjigeorgiou and Papadimitriou), University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. N. Scarmeas, Taub Institute PH, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, 622 W. 168 St., 19th fl., New York, NY, 10032; e-mail: ns257{at}columbia.edu
Background: Motor signs (MOSIs) are common in Alzheimer disease (AD) and may be associated with rates of cognitive decline, mortality, and cost of care.
Objective: To describe the progression and identify predictors of individual MOSIs in AD.
Methods: A cohort of 474 patients with AD at early stages was followed semiannually for up to 13.1 years (mean 3.6 years) in five centers in Europe and the United States. MOSIs were rated using a standardized portion of the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale. Overall, 3,030 visits/assessments of MOSIs (average 6.4/patient) were performed. Prevalence and incidence rates were calculated, and cumulative risk graphs were plotted for individual non-drug-induced MOSI domains. Rates of change over time taking into account potential covariates were also estimated. With use of each MOSI domain as outcome in Cox models, predictors of MOSI incidence were identified.
Results: At least one MOSI was detected in 13% of patients at first examination and in 36% for the last evaluation. Total MOSI score increased at an annual rate of 3% of total possible score. Rates of annual change for speech/facial expression (4%), rigidity (2.45%), posture/gait (3.9%), and bradykinesia (3.75%) were of similar magnitude, and their occurrence increased from first (3 to 6%) to last (22 to 29%) evaluation. Tremor was less frequent throughout the course of the disease (4% at first and 7% at last evaluation) and worsened less (0.75% increase/year).
Conclusions: Most motor signs occur frequently and progress rapidly in Alzheimer disease. Tremor is an exception in that it occurs less frequently and advances at slower rates.
Received November 19, 2003.
Accepted in final form May 18, 2004.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. D. Louis, N. Asabere, A. Agnew, C. B. Moskowitz, A. Lawton, E. Cortes, P. L. Faust, and J.-P. G. Vonsattel
Rest tremor in advanced essential tremor: a post-mortem study of nine cases
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry,
August 27, 2010;
(2010)
jnnp.2010.215681v1.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y. Nagahama, T. Okina, N. Suzuki, and M. Matsuda
Neural correlates of psychotic symptoms in dementia with Lewy bodies
Brain,
February 1, 2010;
133(2):
557 - 567.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
F. Portet, N. Scarmeas, S. Cosentino, E. P. Helzner, and Y. Stern
Extrapyramidal Signs Before and After Diagnosis of Incident Alzheimer Disease in a Prospective Population Study
Arch Neurol,
September 1, 2009;
66(9):
1120 - 1126.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Scarmeas, L. S. Honig, H. Choi, J. Cantero, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, M. Albert, J. C. Amatniek, K. Marder, K. Bell, et al.
Seizures in Alzheimer Disease: Who, When, and How Common?
Arch Neurol,
August 1, 2009;
66(8):
992 - 997.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. K. Scherer, N. Scarmeas, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, M. S. Albert, and Y. Stern
The Relation of Patient Dependence to Home Health Aide Use in Alzheimer's Disease
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci,
September 1, 2008;
63(9):
1005 - 1009.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. M. Brickman, L. S. Honig, N. Scarmeas, O. Tatarina, L. Sanders, M. S. Albert, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, and Y. Stern
Measuring Cerebral Atrophy and White Matter Hyperintensity Burden to Predict the Rate of Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease
Arch Neurol,
September 1, 2008;
65(9):
1202 - 1208.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Scarmeas, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, M. Albert, G. Hadjigeorgiou, B. Dubois, D. Devanand, L. Honig, and Y. Stern
Disruptive Behavior as a Predictor in Alzheimer Disease
Arch Neurol,
December 1, 2007;
64(12):
1755 - 1761.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Scarmeas, J. A. Luchsinger, R. Mayeux, and Y. Stern
Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer disease mortality
Neurology,
September 11, 2007;
69(11):
1084 - 1093.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Stavitsky, A. M. Brickman, N. Scarmeas, R. L. Torgan, M.-X. Tang, M. Albert, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, and Y. Stern
The progression of cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and functional abilities in dementia with lewy bodies and Alzheimer disease.
Arch Neurol,
October 1, 2006;
63(10):
1450 - 1456.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. W. Zhu, N. Scarmeas, R. Torgan, M. Albert, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, M. Sano, and Y. Stern
Longitudinal study of effects of patient characteristics on direct costs in Alzheimer disease
Neurology,
September 26, 2006;
67(6):
998 - 1005.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. W. Zhu, N. Scarmeas, R. Torgan, M. Albert, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, M. Sano, and Y. Stern
Clinical features associated with costs in early AD: Baseline data from the Predictors Study
Neurology,
April 11, 2006;
66(7):
1021 - 1028.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. Tiraboschi, D. P. Salmon, L. A. Hansen, R. C. Hofstetter, L. J. Thal, and J. Corey-Bloom
What best differentiates Lewy body from Alzheimer's disease in early-stage dementia?
Brain,
March 1, 2006;
129(3):
729 - 735.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. A. Boyle, R. S. Wilson, N. T. Aggarwal, Z. Arvanitakis, J. Kelly, J. L. Bienias, and D. A. Bennett
Parkinsonian signs in subjects with mild cognitive impairment
Neurology,
December 27, 2005;
65(12):
1901 - 1906.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. E. Perez, O. Lazarov, J. B. Koprich, E.-Y. Chen, V. Rodriguez-Menendez, J. W. Lipton, S. S. Sisodia, and E. J. Mufson
Nigrostriatal Dysfunction in Familial Alzheimer's Disease-Linked APPswe/PS1{Delta}E9 Transgenic Mice
J. Neurosci.,
November 2, 2005;
25(44):
10220 - 10229.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Scarmeas, J. Brandt, M. Albert, G. Hadjigeorgiou, A. Papadimitriou, B. Dubois, M. Sarazin, D. Devanand, L. Honig, K. Marder, et al.
Delusions and Hallucinations Are Associated With Worse Outcome in Alzheimer Disease
Arch Neurol,
October 1, 2005;
62(10):
1601 - 1608.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Scarmeas, M. Albert, J. Brandt, D. Blacker, G. Hadjigeorgiou, A. Papadimitriou, B. Dubois, M. Sarazin, D. Wegesin, K. Marder, et al.
Motor signs predict poor outcomes in Alzheimer disease
Neurology,
May 24, 2005;
64(10):
1696 - 1703.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Motor Signs Progress Rapidly in Alzheimer Disease
Journal Watch Neurology,
December 10, 2004;
2004(1210):
1 - 1.
[Full Text]
|
 |
|
|