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Emerging treatments for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2017

Abhinav Anand ,
Puneet Khurana ,
Jasneet Chawla ,
Neha Sharma  and
Navneet Khurana Open the ORCID record for Navneet Khurana [Opens in a new window]
Abhinav Anand
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
Puneet Khurana
Affiliation:
Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Jasneet Chawla
Affiliation:
SPS Hospital, Sherpur Chowk, Sherpur, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Neha Sharma
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
Navneet Khurana*
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
*
Address correspondence to: Navneet Khurana, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar–Delhi G.T. Road, NH-1, Phagwara, Punjab, India 144411. (Email: navi.pharmacist@gmail.com)
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Abstract

Dementia is referred to a loss of memory and decline in other mental abilities at levels critical enough to hinder performance of daily activities. It can be of several types, depending on the underlying pathophysiology. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are various, but the most clinically significant are depression, apathy, and anxiety. Other BPSD include agitation, aberrant motor behavior, elation, hallucinations, and alterations in sleep and appetite. About 90% of sufferers of dementia are affected by BPSD during the course of the illness. These symptoms occur in demented patients irrespective of the dementia subtype. However, there has not been significant development in the areas of disease-modifying pharmacotherapeutics for dementia. Therefore, tackling BPSD has emerged as a research avenue in the recent past. Existing antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cholinergic agents have been extensively used in the treatment of BPSD, independently and in different combinations. However, these agents have not successful in completely alleviating such symptoms. Research in this field is going on globally, but it is still limited by various factors. There is a strong need to develop new entities and test them clinically. This review focuses on emerging treatments for the management of clinically significant BPSD.

Keywords

Anxietyapathybehavioral and psychological symptoms of dementiadementiadepressionemerging treatments
Type
Review
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 23 , Special Issue 6: Theme: Neuropsychiatry , December 2018 , pp. 361 - 369
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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