Agitation in Patients With Dementia

This guide to diagnosis and management of agitation in patients with dementia covers topics including: agitation in the elderly; definitional and theoretical conceptualizations; two epidemiology dementia; differential diagnosis of agitation in dementia; bright light therapy; mood stabilizers; neuroleptics; and legal and ethical issues. Among the most frustrating challenges for any health care professional are treating and allviating the distress of an agitated patient with dementia. In the 21st century, those age 85 and over represent the fastest-growing segmnt of the population. As we find ways to met this challenge, we are also transforming how we think about aging. Instead of the pejorative term "senility", which implies that simply to be old is to be infirm, we refer to the ABCs of geriatric psychiatry: distrbances in (A)ffect, (B)ehaviour, and (C)ognition, which are not normal at any age. This volume addresses (B)ehaviour. Here, experts from around the world synthesize this growing body of literature into a single volume for everyday use by busy clinicians. Its 16 chapters cover identifying and diagnosing the multiple types of agitation in dementia patients, looking for and treating the underlying medical etiologies, and recommending treatment and management techniques - everything from epidemiology and neurochemistry to behavioural assessment scales, medications, psychotherapy, and bright light therapy. Furthermore, this work shows that successful outcomes - with response rates as high as 70 per cent - can be achieved with a systemic approach, treating both patient and caregiver, that includes cognitive, behavioural, psychodynamic, and reminiscence therapies. This monograph should appeal a wide audience of geriatric psychiatrists, primary case physicians and internists, general practitioners, nurses, social workers, pyschologists, pharmacists, and mental health care workers and practitioners in hospitals, nuring homes, and clinics, as it offers practical direction on assessing and manging agitation in patients with dementia.