Epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of dementia.

The risk of developing dementia is associated with increasing age, lifestyle, and cardiovascular health. Alzheimer dementia is characterized by progressive cognitive deficits and decline in functional ability. Using history, examination, and laboratory testing, the clinician can evaluate the patient with dementia. Specific to these conditions are assessments of cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and level of functioning. Managing neuropsychiatric symptoms is challenging and requires a team approach in which nonpharmacological strategies are preferred before medications are considered. Various diagnostic methods are being developed to discriminate disease from nondisease and track progression. Drug discovery is identifying novel molecules that target underlying disease mechanisms.