Management and Therapeutic Issues in the Dementias

Abstract

As of 2016, treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia and the principal non-AD dementias is entirely palliative. Although there are several drugs approved for the treatment of mild to moderate AD dementia, these drugs—the cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine—have rather modest benefits. In general, nonpharmacologic approaches to the management of patients with dementia emphasize support for the caregiver, attention to safety, and providing a supportive and socially enriched environment for the patient. Depression is common in dementias of diverse etiology; lower doses of later-generation antidepressants are effective in controlling depressive symptoms in patients with dementia. Agitation is not a ubiquitous occurrence in patients with dementia, but physically aggressive behavior, hallucinations, and delusions affect a sizable fraction of patients with dementia. There is much controversy regarding the appropriate medication classes to use in cases of agitation, but the antipsychotic agent quetiapine is often effective and unique among its class in not causing parkinsonism or tardive dyskinesia. Key words: antidepressants, antipsychotic agents, caregiver support, cholinesterase inhibitors