Behavioral and Psychological Signs of Dementia (BPSD) are defined as: Signs and symptoms of disturbed perception, thought content, mood, or behavior that frequently occur in patients with dementia.
Psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is represented by the occurrence of delusions or hallucinations that have their onset after the appearence of the dementia syndrome and have been present, at least intermittently, for one month or longer. Even if the origin of the symptomatology is not “psychotic” per se, agitation hostility and agression are also frequently related to the psychotic symptoms taking into account the fact that these symptoms may also benefit from the so called antipsychotic pharmacological treatment. Thosee symptoms are very distressing for the patient and the caregivers.
The presentation is divided into two sections. The first one describe describes and analyses the possible origin of the so called psychotics symptoms in AD andLewy Body Dementia.
The second emphasizes the way to evaluate and analyze behavioral problems before the initiation of pharmacological treatment.
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