Background

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS) are common in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and its shorter version, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), are the most common measures to assess NPS. Our objective was to determine if NPI/NPI-Q ratings predict conversion from MCI to dementia.

Methods

Empirical longitudinal studies published in English or Spanish, concerned with the role of NPS as a risk factor for conversion from MCI to dementia, with a diagnosis of MCI following clinical criteria, that reported NPI/NPI-Q total score in converters versus non-converters, were included. Random effects models were used, and heterogeneity was explored with stratification and a random-effects meta-regression. The overall conversion rate and the standardized mean difference (SMD) for evolution, as a function of NPI/NPI-Q scores, were calculated.

Results

The overall conversion rate was 35 %. Mean NPI/NPI-Q ratings were higher in converters versus in non-converters, with the overall SMD approaching significance. Heterogeneity was observed in studies of more than two years of follow-up and in a study with a mean age of more than 80 years. This heterogeneity concerned the size, not the direction of the difference.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that NPI/NPI-Q ratings are associated with conversion from MCI to dementia.

中文翻译：

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神经精神病学清单是否可以预测从轻度认知障碍到痴呆的进展？系统的审查和荟萃分析。

背景

神经精神症状（NPS）在轻度认知障碍（MCI）中很常见。神经精神病学调查表（NPI）及其简称，神经精神病学调查表（NPI-Q）是评估NPS的最常用方法。我们的目标是确定NPI / NPI-Q评分是否可以预测从MCI到痴呆的转化。

方法

以英语或西班牙语发表的经验纵向研究涉及NPS作为从MCI转化为痴呆的危险因素的作用，并根据临床标准诊断为MCI，该研究报告了转化者与非转化者的NPI / NPI-Q总得分，包括在内。使用随机效应模型，并通过分层和随机效应元回归探索异质性。计算了作为NPI / NPI-Q分数的函数的总体转化率和标准化的均值差（SMD）。

结果

总转化率为35％。转换器中的平均NPI / NPI-Q等级高于非转换器中的平均等级，总体SMD接近。在超过两年的随访研究和平均年龄超过80岁的研究中观察到异质性。这种异质性关系到大小，而不是差异的方向。

结论

我们的结果表明，NPI / NPI-Q评分与从MCI到痴呆症的转化有关。