Contribution of Cognitive Impairment, Depression, and Psychosis to the Outcome of Agitated Geropsychiatric Inpatients with Dementia

Abstract

This study investigated the correlates of change in behavioral disturbance in geropsychiatric inpatients with dementia. It was hypothesized that improvement in specific psychiatric symptoms, such as psychosis and depression, contribute to the improvement of specific behavioral disturbances. All admissions between October 1993 and May 1995 were reviewed to identify those patients admitted to the Houston VA geropsychiatry unit with a diagnosis of dementia; 233 patients were included in the study. Improvement in behavioral disturbance symptoms was associated with decreases in depression, thought disorder, and hostility. However, the relative importance of depressive and psychotic symptoms varied depending upon the type of behavioral disturbance examined. These results may support a focused approach employing therapies specific to the type of behavioral disturbance.

Gender, aggression and serotonergic function are associated with response to sertraline for behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease

“…Although there was only a trend for decreased delusions, severe cognitive impairment of the patients in this study made it difficult to detect or assess psychotic symptoms due to difficulty in communication. Psychotic symptoms may have been present in a higher frequency than detected as they frequently co-exist with aggression in Alzheimer's disease (Gilley et al, 1997;Kunik et al, 1998). Depression is the main clinical indication for sertraline and alleviation of depression may have led to improvement in behavioral symptoms in other studies.…”

Dementia Dashboard

“…[40][41][42][43] Recognition and treatment of depression in persons with dementia has resulted in improved outcomes with cognition and behavior. [40][41][42][43] Recognition and treatment of depression in persons with dementia has resulted in improved outcomes with cognition and behavior.…”

The Impact of Medical Issues in Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry

“…This practice may mask the root cause of the problem by attending only to the symptomatology of the disease while ignoring underlying causes that may be reversible. For example, effective treatment of depression has been shown to decrease behavioral disturbances (Kunik, Graham, Snow-Turek, Molinari, Orengo, & Workman, 1998). However, those who are unfamiliar with late-life depression may not consider it as an etiology for agitation.…”