Figure 1.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer’s disease. Patients with dementia show not only core symptoms of dementia (e.g., memory loss and learning deficits), but also various associated symptoms including BPSD (e.g., psychosis, behavioral excitation, and mood disorders). Cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease is usually treated with cognitive enhancers such as the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs, e.g., donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine) and the NMDA antagonist (e.g., memantine). In the treatment of BPSD, antipsychotic drugs are used for psychosis and behavioral disturbances, and antidepressants for depressive mood.