Optimising pharmacological treatment of non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia

Non-cognitive symptoms experienced by people with dementia may include agitation, aggression, distress, psychosis, anxiety and depression. The management of non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia is often challenging and if left untreated, such symptoms can accelerate decline, reduce quality of life, and cause substantial distress to both patients and carers. Often non-pharmacological management options are recommended first-line, but pharmacological management may need to be considered if the patient does not respond to non-pharmacological approaches. However, some pharmacological treatments need to be prescribed with caution and evaluated regularly. This mixed-methods project will investigate current prescribing of pharmacological treatments for non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia and explore the experiences of key stakeholders (such as people with dementia, their carers, relevant healthcare professionals), in order to assess how prevention and treatment of non-cognitive symptoms may be improved and optimised for this patient population.