Citation

Raskind MA. J. Clin. Psychiatry 1999; 60(Suppl 15): 45-49.

Affiliation

VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98108, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Physicians Postgraduate Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10418815

Abstract

Aggression is common in elderly patients with dementia and often leads to placement of these patients in long-term care facilities. Unfortunately, identification and evaluation of aggression is sometimes hindered by disagreement as to how aggression is distinguished from agitation. Aggression in elderly patients with dementia is best understood as a product of the interaction of neurobiological, cognitive, and environmental factors. Such a complex etiology calls for an approach to treatment that considers pharmacologic therapy as well as environmental manipulation; however, further research is needed to clarify the causes of aggression in elderly patients with dementia and thus allow the refinement of approaches to treatment.

Language: en