Assessing treatment for dementia symptoms

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A review of the evidence suggests that drug therapies to control behavioral symptoms in dementia are not particularly effective.
Although loss of memory is the main feature of dementia, there are other problems such as wandering, agitation and delusions, which can be especially distressing.

A team at Wake Forest University has been looking at the treatments used to address such behavioral symptoms. After a review of 29 studies, they conclude that none of the medications such as tranquillizers or antidepressants works particularly well. There's some evidence, though, for modest benefit from the antipsychotic drugs risperidone and olanzapine, although more research is needed.

Given that more and more people will develop dementia as the population ages, it is vital to find better treatments for behavioral problems, the researchers say. They point to non-drug treatments, such as music therapy, pet therapy, aromatherapy and caregiver education which should, they suggest, be developed further, alongside better drug treatments.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 2nd February 2005

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