ABSTRACT

All forms of dementia have a strong association with the psychiatric symptoms of agitation and psychosis. Various forms of agitation are seen in 80% to 90% of dementia patients over the course of the underlying illness, with higher rates seen in more severe dementia and in nursing home populations (Ballard et al., 2001; International Psycho-geriatric Association, 2000). One study, which looked at dementia patients over five years, found point prevalence rates for aggression between 13% and 24% (Steinberg et al., 2008). Psychotic symptoms overlap considerably with agitated behaviors and often generate them. These symptoms include delusions, with paranoid delusions and misidentifications being most common, and hallucinations, with visual and auditory components being most common. Psychotic symptoms are seen in an estimated 30% to 50% of dementia patients, across various subtypes (Jeste & Finkel, 2000).