# AD-LIKE PATHOLOGY IN ELDERLY SCHIZOPHRENIA

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 1993 · $270,883

## Abstract

Schizophrenia, a devastating and common disease, traditionally has been
studied in early adulthood.  Its course and outcome during senescence are
largely unknown and subject to controversy.  We have reviewed the
neuropathological records of 1,046 patients who were chronically
hospitalized in mental institutions.  For cases who died after age 50,
clinical lifetime diagnosis, as noted in the autopsy notes, was
schizophrenia in 544 patients and dementia in 258 patients.  The ii
prevalence of neuropathological diagnoses consistent with Alzheimer's
disease (AD) was 51% in the demented patients and 28% in the
schizophrenics.  When evaluated against age of death, AD findings in
demented patients was constant, whereas the rate of such findings in
schizophrenic patients rose monotonously from <5% below age 60 to 50% at
age greater than or equal to 90.  The age-relative rate of AD diagnosis
in schizophrenic patients was markedly higher than that expected in the
general population, and similar to the rate postulated in first-degree
relatives of AD patients.

These findings strongly suggest a hitherto-unsuspected link between
aging, schizophrenia (or chronic neuroleptic treatment), and AD-like
neuropathological changes.  The current findings, however, are limited by
the known limitations of chart diagnosis, as noted in autopsy reports.
Prior to investing in a very demanding prospective study and/or a complex
examination of archival historical brain tissue from neuroleptic-naive
patients, we propose to confirm and extend these findings in a
retrospective study, providing extensive psychiatric and normal control
samples.

We will identify and evaluate tissue specimens and medical charts of 600
recent schizophrenic patients.  These will be compared to samples of
major mood disorders (n=200) and Primary Degenerative Dementia (n=200),
as well as other chronically institutionalized psychiatric patients and
normal controls (n=250).  We will apply blind, rigorous methods of
diagnostic assessment and determine rater reliability for both
neuropathological interpretation and psychiatric chart review.  The
results are expected to definitively detect whether chronic schizophrenia
and aging are associated with increased rate of AD-like neuropathological
findings in this population.  This cost-effective study will then serve
as the basis for a prospective determination, which will include detailed
assessment of family history, and/or a similar retrospective study of
tissue and records of medication-free patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122559
- **Project number:** 5R01AG010638-03
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **SAM.gov UEI:** TYVNMW8FNQQ3
- **Principal Investigator:** ISAK PROHOVNIK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $270,883
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1991-09-30 → 1995-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122559

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122559, AD-LIKE PATHOLOGY IN ELDERLY SCHIZOPHRENIA (5R01AG010638-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122559. Licensed CC0.

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