The core symptoms of different dementia subtypes are the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and its neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). BPSD symptoms may occur at any stage in the case of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), whereas they tend to occur early on in the case of its behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies and are essential for diagnosis. BPSD treatment consists of non-pharmacological as well as pharmacological interventions, with non-pharmacological interactions being suggested as first-line treatment. Agitation, psychotic features, apathy, depression, and anxiety may not respond to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine in AD cases; therefore, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedative drugs or anxiolytics, and antiepileptic drugs are typically prescribed. However, such management of BPSD can be complicated by hypersensitivity to antipsychotic drugs, as observed in DLB, and a lack of effective pro-cognitive treatment in the case of frontotemporal dementia. The present paper reviews current knowledge of the management of BPSD and its limitations and discusses on-going clinical trials and future therapeutic options.

MCI subjects presenting with apathy, low initial BMI and losing weight on follow-up have a significantly greater risk of developing dementia. Nutritional and behavioural assessment should be considered as additional tools in evaluating the risk of dementia among MCI subjects.

The Polish version of the MoCA seems effective in the detection of deteriorated cognitive performance and appropriate for differentiating impaired from preserved cognitive function in a Polish population.

More rapid progression of cognitive decline and shorter duration of dementia were found in DLB in this naturalistic study. The findings may have important implications for the management and treatment of DLB and should be confirmed in prospective studies.

No abstract