Folate deficiency, by itself, can make homocysteine levels rise and too much homocysteine can provoke atherosclerosis. It is, therefore, possible that hardening of the arteries may act as a trigger for Alzheimer's disease. Patients with dementia often suffer from depression and a variety of behavior problems. 14 Depression is particularly common in patients with vascular dementia but can also occur in those with Alzheimer's disease. Doctors use the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia to help identify depression in dementia sufferers.
Anxiety is also common.
Other behavior problems include agitation, irritability, wandering, restlessness, sleep disturbances, aggressiveness, screaming and inappropriate sexual behavior. It should also be remembered that some of these behavioral problems, especially agitation, may be caused by delirium. Delirium is an extremely dangerous altered state of consciousness whose symptoms include confusion, distractability, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, illusions and hallucinations, hyperactivity and overactivity. Demented patients are particularly vulnerable to developing delirium. Few studies have focused on anxiety and its treatment in Alzheimer's sufferers.