home or needs nursing home
admission. However, in the past, research in AD focussed primarily on the early detection and management of cognitive deficits, whereas behavioral disturbances have been neglected.4 Treatment of behavioral problems can improve the quality of life of the patient and the carer, and may help avoid premature institutionalization. The relationship between these disturbances and the severity of dementia has not been clarified. There is some evidence that Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical some symptoms such as depression and anxiety are more common during slight to moderate stages, whereas others, eg, behavioral problems like aggression, seem to occur more in advanced dementia. In severe stages, significant cognitive impairment, becomes predominant and some behavioral dysfunctions get gradually less problematic.3 However, many behavioral disturbances like physical violence, incontinence, hitting, accusatory behaviors, and suspiciousness do not. appear to be closely related to cognitive deficits.5 There is also controversy Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical about, the prevalence of different behavioral abnormalities in patients with different types of dementia.6 It has
been suggested that depression is more common in vascular dementia Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical than in AD.6 In a recent study, only modest differences were found in the prevalence of mental or behavioral disturbances in different types of dementia or at Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical different stages of illness.7 The authors investigated a large community population of elderly people. Patients with AD were more likely to have delusions and less likely to have depression. Aberrant motor behavior and agitation/aggression were more common in patients Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with advanced dementia. Epidemiology The proportion of affected patients has varied among studies due to differing inclusion and assessment criteria. These studies suggest that approximately 80% to 90% of patients with dementia suffer from such behavioral disorders (Table I)7-14 over the course of their illness. These
rates are considerably higher than those reported in individuals crotamiton aged 65 or older without, dementia syndrome. Table I. Psychological symptomatology and behavioral problems in dementia, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease. *Dementia of any etiology; †major depression; #agitation/aggression; §depending on severity (F. Müller-Spahn, unpublished results). … Personality changes are most common in AD and affect approximately 70% of patients,8 including disinterest, in environment or inappropriate social behavior. Different aspects of personality traits may become more predominant depending on the patient’s primary personality. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a FK228 syndrome first described by more than 100 years ago by Pick,15 is particularly dominated by prominent, and commonly disturbing behavior.