Perspectives On Neurobehavioural Manifestations Of Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, habitually labelled as Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)1, are almost universally present in Alzheimer's disease (AD), affecting between 90% and 97% of individuals throughout the progression of the disease2–7. These symptoms encompass apathy, depression, anxiety, agitation, and psychosis2, markedly weakening the overall well-being of patients and their care providers, while anticipating a higher speed of operational decline, earlier entry into formal care facilities, and increased mortality2,4. Although their rate of occurrence, NPS remains underappreciated and difficult to deal with and manage due to their intricate biological, psychological, and social fundamental mechanisms2. This review brings together the most recent literature on the biological basis of NPS, highlighting network-level alterations in normal function, impairment in neurotransmitter indices, and amyloid and tau pathology2. We elaborate on certain pathophysiologies for the principal symptom areas and assess existing diagnostic approaches and treatment paradigms. These findings point out the need for a paradigm shift8 toward individual-focused, biomarker-assisted care that merges pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques9,10. Future improvements rely on improving the quality of the diagnostic set of rules and the formation of targeted interventions that tackle the biological influences of these incapacitating symptoms10