The following is a summary of “Association Between False Memories and Delusions in Alzheimer Disease,” published in the May 2023 issue of Psychiatry by McLachlan et al.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapeutic interventions address false memories, address delusion formation, and enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore if delusions in AD were related to false recognition and whether higher false recognition rates and the presence of delusions correlated with reduced regional brain volumes in the same brain regions.

Primary outcomes as false recognition (ADAS-Cog 13 & RAVLT) and brain region volumes in Alzheimer’s study. Behavioral data of individuals with and without delusions in AD were compared using t-tests or Mann-Whitney tests. Binary logistic regression found significant results. Neuroimaging data was analyzed with t-tests, Poisson regression, or binary logistic regression for regions of interest. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry studied brain volume and false recognition or delusions association.

The results showed 2,248 individuals in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and 728 met the inclusion criteria. In total, 317 women (43.5%) and 411 men (56.5%), with a mean age of 74.8 (SD 7.4) years, were included. Participants with baseline delusions (n=42) had higher false recognition rates on ADAS-Cog 13 (median score, 3; IQR, 1 to 6) than 549 control participants (median score, 2; IQR, 0 to 4; U=9398.5, P=0.04). False recognition is not linked to delusions in binary logistic regression. An ADAS-Cog 13 wrong recognition score was inversely associated with left hippocampal volume (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.88-0.94], P<0.001), right hippocampal volume (OR 0.94 [0.92-0.97], P<0.001), left entorhinal cortex volume (OR 0.94 [0.91-0.97], P<0.001), left parahippocampal gyrus volume (OR 0.93 [0.91-0.96], P<0.001), and left fusiform gyrus volume (OR 0.97 [0.96-0.99], P<0.001)—no overlap in brain regions for false recognition and delusions.

They concluded volumetric neuroimaging found no overlap in false memories and AD delusions, indicating they have distinct causes, supporting targeted psychosis treatment.

Source: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2804863?resultClick=3