ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms are commonly encountered in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias (1-3). Up to 88% of all AD patients will exhibit some kind of behavioral disturbance, and the frequency and severity of these behaviors increase with cognitive decline (1,4). Paranoid behavior, hallucinations, and activity disturbances (restless behaviors) predict faster functional decline in AD patients, and this is independent of cognitive status (5). The behavioral manifestations of dementia including physical and verbal aggression, catastrophic reactions, and suspiciousness are very difficult for caregivers to handle and often lead earlier to nursing home placement (5).
