Objective: To evaluate the behavioral and psychological symptoms in Dementia (BPSD) for which Dutch nursing home physicians seek psychiatric consultation.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Materials and Methods: Assessment by a geriatric psychiatrist of patients residing in eight different nursing homes in the region of Amsterdam. Nursing home physicians listed the most important symptoms, based on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Dutch version (NPI). Possible additional symptoms for consultation were examined.
Results: A total of 583 patients participated of which 324 met DSM-IV criteria of dementia (Alzheimer dementia/FTD, vascular dementia or otherwise). Symptoms most often listed were agitation/aggression, followed by depression/dysphoria and disinhibition. Psychotic features were scarcely mentioned as a primary reason for psychiatric consultation. Different symptom profiles existed between dementia subtypes.
Conclusion: When consulting a geriatric psychiatrist, Dutch nursing home physicians often do so in need of expert advice on diagnosis and treatment of agitation/aggression and depression/dysphoria in dementia.
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