Introduction: Extrapyramidal signs (EPS) are a common feature of Alzheimer's disease associated with worse outcomes in observational studies of dementia. Less research has been conducted on ethnic minority and non-clinic-based populations.
Methods: One hundred and forty-two multiethnic community-dwelling participants with dementia were selected. Adjusted Cox models were fitted for mortality, cognitive (Mini Mental State Examination ≤10), functional (Blessed Dementia Rating Scale ≥10), and dependency (needs full-time care) endpoints with baseline EPS as predictor.
Results: Thirty-seven participants (26.06%) had EPS at baseline. EPS predicted more rapid time to death (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49, 5.42), and functional endpoint (HR = 3.88, 95% CI = 1.75, 8.62) but not cognitive and dependency endpoints. No evidence of interaction by ethnicity, age, sex, education, or apolipoprotein E ε4 polymorphism was found.
Discussion: Our results partially confirm previous studies on predominantly White, clinic-based samples. Further research is needed to better understand the etiological role of EPS in AD.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; cognitive impairment; dementia; dependency; extrapyramidal signs; functional impairment; survival analysis.
© 2021 the Alzheimer's Association.