Diogenes syndrome in patients suffering from dementia.

Diogenes syndrome in patients suffering from dementia. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012 Dec;14(4):455-60 Authors: Cipriani G, Lucetti C, Vedovello M, Nuti A Abstract Diogenes syndrome (DS) is a behavioral disorder of the elderly. Symptoms include living in extreme squalor, a neglected physical state, and unhygienic conditions. This is accompanied by a self-imposed isolation, the refusal of external help, and a tendency to accumulate unusual objects. To explore the phenomenon of DS in dementia we searched for the terms: "Diogenes syndrome, self-neglect, dementia. " It has long been understood that individuals with dementia often become shut-ins, living in squalor, in the Eastern Baltimore study, dementia was present in 15% of the elderly cases with moderate and severe social breakdown syndrome; twice as many as in the general population of the same age group. Researchers have underlined the frequent presence of DS (36%) in frontotemporal dementia (FTD): different neuropsychological modifications in FTD may contribute to symptoms of DS. The initial treatment should be a behavioral program, but there is not sufficient information regarding pharmacological treatment of the syndrome. PMID: 23393422 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Tags: Dialogues Clin Neurosci Source Type: research