Psychiatric Symptoms and Behavioral Disturbances in Dementia: A Review of Therapy

Abstract

Psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances in dementia (sometimes referred to as noncognitive features of dementia or neuropsychiatric symptoms) are important aspects of the clinical syndrome of dementia. Despite their significance, there have been few studies concentrating on these features from the viewpoint of therapy. This article reviews some of the studies that have been carried out. For more detailed reviews, the reader is referred to Schneider and Sobin (1994) and Burns (1994).

Psychotropic drug use in elderly people with and without dementia

“…Hypnoticssedative, anxiolytics and antipsychotics were frequently used by persons with dementia in this population. Antipsychotics are the drugs of ®rst choice in the treatment of behavioural disorders but have a moderate and limited usefulness in dementia (Schneider et al, 1990;Burns, 1996;Schneider, 1999). Our data show that about one ®fth of persons with dementia used antipsychotics in both periods, mostly the high potency variety.…”

Brief checklist for non‐cognitive symptoms of dementia

“…Advantages of early recognition of dementia include early treatment with recently developed cognitive enhancing drugs [30], opportunities for patients and families to adapt to education and counselling aids, initiation of community support, attention to other medical issues, and opportunities for planning lifestyle and legal issues [31]. Dementia is a useful model by which to investigate brain and behaviour relationships in functional psychoses [14,32,33]. For example, neuroimaging and neuropathologic studies indicate that neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with dysfunction in specific brain regions and that dysfunction of the frontal cortex may be particularly relevant to non‐cognitive expressions of dementia [34].…”

“…Dementia is a useful model by which to investigate brain and behaviour relationships in functional psychoses [14,32,33]. For example, neuroimaging and neuropathologic studies indicate that neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with dysfunction in specific brain regions and that dysfunction of the frontal cortex may be particularly relevant to non‐cognitive expressions of dementia [34].…”

"Sintomas psicológicos e comportamentais em pacientes com demência de amostra representativa da comunidade de São Paulo: prevalência, relação com gravidade da demênciae com estresse do cuidador"

“…Os SPCD, também chamados de aspectos não-cognitivos da demência ou sintomas neuropsiquiátricos (BURNS, 1996) constituem uma complicação grave e comum da demência (BINETTI et al, 1998;ERIKSSON, 2000;MANGONE et al, 2000).…”