The neurochemistry of agitation in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an up-to-date systematic review of the characteristics, methodology and findings of studies that have investigated the neurochemistry of agitation in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for published peer-reviewed articles which provided data on any neurotransmitter system in relation to agitation in AD. Screening of titles and abstracts and data extraction from full texts were conducted in duplicate.

RESULTS: Forty-five studies were included. Monoamines (serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline) were most commonly investigated. A variety of methods were used to investigate the neurochemistry underlying agitation in AD and, although there were several conflicting findings, there was evidence of serotonergic deficit, relatively preserved dopaminergic function and compensatory overactivity of postsynaptic noradrenergic neurons in agitation in AD.

CONCLUSIONS: Disruption of the dynamic balance between multiple neurotransmitter systems could impair functional neural networks involved in affective regulation and executive function. Differences in study design and methodology may have contributed to conflicting findings. Future studies that overcome these limitations (e.g. using standardized criteria to define agitation) and employ neuroimaging methods such as MRI/PET to investigate specific neural networks are needed to clarify the role of neurotransmitter alterations in these patients.