Assessment and management of agitation in the elderly.

The management of agitated behavior in the elderly represents one of the major challenges in geriatric medicine. Inappropriate verbal, vocal, or motor activity often results in problem behavior that burdens caregivers or nursing home staff. A careful differential diagnostic approach to agitated behavior is imperative to avoid misdiagnosis. The misuse of psychoactive drugs often begins with an unclear idea of the underlying pathophysiology. Treatment should be combined with an explicit establishment of therapeutic goals and a precise understanding of the pharmacological profiles of commonly used drugs.