Open AccessManagement of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Neurocognitive Disorders
Author(s) -
Benalfew Legesse,
Baktash Babadi,
Brent P. Forester
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
focus/focus (american psychiatric publishing. online)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1541-4108
pISSN - 1541-4094
DOI - 10.1176/appi.focus.20160031
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , dementia with lewy bodies , etiology , medicine , disease , psychiatry , dementia , psychological intervention , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , cognition , family medicine
Dementias, renamed neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) in the DSM-5 , are defined by acquired decline in cognitive and functional abilities. DSM-5 now also includes mild NCD, which incorporates the previous diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. DSM-5 recognizes the following etiologies for NCDs: NCD due to Alzheimer's disease, vascular NCD, NCD with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal NCD, substance-/medication-induced NCD, NCD due to traumatic brain injury, NCD due to Huntington's disease, NCD due to HIV infection, NCD due to prion disease, and NCD due to other medical conditions. In this review, the authors discuss a wide variety of interventions that have been studied for the treatment and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with NCDs. In addition to nonpharmacological interventions, several classes of medications-including antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and cholinesterase inhibitors-have been studied for this indication.