Management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: The role of mood stabilizers

INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias are associated with symptoms that extend far beyond cognitive deficits. The most distressing of these symptoms are known as the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and include delusions, hallucinations, agitation and aggression, misidentification, and sexually inappropriate behaviors. As a result of BPSD, AD patients suffer a poorer quality of life, as do their caregivers. Behavioral and psychological symptoms can be so distressing to the caregiver that they are a common reason for families placing their loved ones in long-term care. Approximately 60% and 80% of dementia patients living in the community and in long-term care settings develop BPSD, respectively.