Psychiatria pre prax 1/2008

BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER DISEASE

One of the three basic involvement in Alzheimer disease and other types of dementia are (besides impairment of cognitive function and activities of daily life) so called behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. These disorders include also involvement of emotivity (depression, anxiety, etc.) sleeping disorders and sleeping-vigilance cycle impairment and also behavioral disorders. These disorders are sometimes the most dominant and most disturbing, especially in middle and advanced stages of the disease. They may have different forms. Agitation-persistent and sometimes only slight restlessness is very frequent. Psychotic symptoms sometimes accompany behavioral disorders, e.g. delusions, hallucinations, misinterpretation. Options of agitation treatment are discussed.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease, antipsychotics, dementia, behavioral disorder, agitation