Dementia

Dementia

majority of cases of dementia are caused by :
1.degenerative causes and by
2.vascular causes

Degenerative causes include Alzheimer's disease (the most common cause of dementia accounting for an estimated 60% of

cases), Parkinson's disease, etc.

Note: 10% to 20% of dementias are caused by potentially reversible conditions
(e.g. infections, inflammatory diseases, neoplasm, toxic insults, metabolic disorders, and trauma )

NB Differential - Delirium is an acute (hours to days), usually reversible, metabolically induced state of fluctuating consciousness.


Adjunct Therapy - antipsychotic (controversial) - haloperidol 0.5 mg bd PO

Behavioural management

-consider stopping all benzo & antipsychotic ( paradoxical aggrevation )

-Mood stabilizer: carbamazepine 100 mg bd po

-lorazepam 0.5 mg PO/IMI when required,