Novel Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Behavioral Disturbances and Psychoses Associated With Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Behavioral disturbances and psychosis are common features of neurodegenerative disorders and may be drug induced, intrinsic to the underlying pathology, or both. These disturbances, including psychotic and mood symptoms, apathy, aggression and other behavioral symptoms, and superimposed delirium, cause a great amount of disability to the patient and stress on the caregiver. Conventional neuroleptics have been shown to be effective in the treatment of these symptoms, but unacceptable side effects may occur. However, the novel antipsychotics, with their lower risk of inducing extrapyramidal symptoms, have shown promise in the treatment of behavioral disturbances and psychosis associated with neurodegenerative disorders.