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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias logoLink to American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
. 2008 Jun-Jul;23(3):227–232. doi: 10.1177/1533317507313373

Aggression in Individuals Newly Diagnosed With Dementia

Claudia A Orengo 1, Jennifer Khan 2, Mark E Kunik 3, Andrea L Snow 4, Robert Morgan 5, Avila Steele 6, Jeffrey A Cully 7, David P Graham 8
PMCID: PMC10846265  PMID: 18258723

Abstract

Aggression is often associated with dementia. In this study, aggression in veterans newly diagnosed with dementia was examined and characterized. Participants were ≥60 years diagnosed with dementia at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas, from 2001 to 2004. Aggression was defined as a positive caregiver response to 1 or more of 3 probes from the Ryden Aggression Scale, administered during a telephone screen. Of 1276 contacts, 385 (30%) were eligible and agreed to participate; at initial screening, 75 (19.5%) were aggressive (23 [31%] verbally, 9 [12%] physically, 24 [32%] verbally and physically, and 19 [25%] with unspecified aggression). The surprisingly high prevalence of aggression in individuals newly diagnosed with dementia suggests the potential usefulness of early screening for aggression in this population.

Keywords: dementia, aggression, behavioral disorder, screening

Full Text

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Contributor Information

Claudia A. Orengo, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center.

Jennifer Khan, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

Mark E. Kunik, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, , mkunik@bcm.tmc.edu, Department of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

Andrea L. Snow, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, University of Alabama, Center for Mental Health and Aging Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Robert Morgan, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

Avila Steele, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

Jeffrey A. Cully, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

David P. Graham, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies, Health Services Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas.

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