With more Americans living longer, the challenge of managing symptoms of dementia is simultaneously increasing. Now, a new study offers a fresh perspective on understanding, treating and managing the complex behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, which may potentially lead to improved care for millions of older adults.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have introduced a novel approach to categorizing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Their study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, used advanced statistical methods to analyze daily reports from 68 family caregivers over eight consecutive days. Caregivers focused on 23 different symptoms related to dementia, including eating difficulties, uncooperativeness, delusions, depression, anxiety, apathy, and wandering, producing a total of 443 daily reports over the course of eight days.

The research team identified four distinct subsyndromes of BPSD: aggressive–agitation (wandering, care resistance, verbal aggression, physical aggression); depression-affective (vocalizations, apathy, delusions, hallucinations, anxiety, depression); manic-agitation (memory problems, euphoria, lability, impulsivity, compulsions, sexual disinhibition); and hallucinations (hallucinations, uncooperativeness). These groupings represent how symptoms tend to occur together across different individuals with dementia. Additionally, they found three symptom clusters that show how symptoms may group together on a day-to-day basis for a single person.

This dual framework of subsyndromes and symptom clusters offers a more nuanced understanding of BPSD. It bridges the gap between medical and nursing approaches to dementia care, suggesting that some symptom groups may have shared biological causes, while others might be triggered by environmental factors.

Lead researcher Carolyn E. Z. Pickering, PhD, RN, emphasized the potential impact of these findings. “By recognizing these distinct patterns, we open the door to more targeted interventions,” she explained. “This could lead to better symptom management and improved quality of life for seniors with dementia and their caregivers.”