Educating the caregiver about<unk>  in dementia is of primary importance in addressing the problem. Caregivers need to understand the need for structure and comfort in the patient's daily activities, as well as the importance of including activities that the patient finds enjoyable and of trying to convey a sense of pleasure themselves. Caregivers also need an opportunity to "vent" and to understand and express when they have exceeded their ability to address the patient's needs. Psychosocial Controlled trials show that providing pleasant daily activities or exercise, for someone who has Alzheimer's disease, in conjunction with activities designed to support the caregiver, can produce positive results in addressing the associated<unk> . Medication There are no official clinical guidelines as yet about the use of antidepressant medication for dAD in particular. Medication may be justified for people with diagnosed dAD who are suicidal, violent, not eating or drinking, or who score high on the Cornell scale. The evidence would seem to suggest similar efficacy for SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants in initial treatment for dAD. If these treatments do not address the symptoms, it would be reasonable to try noradrenergic drugs, secondary amine tricyclic antidepressants, or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. A clinical trial testing sertraline (Zoloft) for<unk> , launched by the NIMH in 2004, is due to be completed in the summer of 2009. Sertraline, as per the latest studies has been found to be ineffective in improving cognitive outcomes in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Sertraline is also associated with increased incidence of gastrointestinal and respiratory adverse effects.
Depression of Alzheimer disease
Alcohol-related dementia
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
Vascular dementia
Early-onset Alzheimer's disease
Steroid dementia syndrome
Alzheimer's disease
Subcortical dementia