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Scientists say there's a treatment for the violence that sometimes accompanies dementia.
They say some patients with dementia resort to kicking, biting and other violent behaviors. A study, reported in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, indicates that such behavior can be moderated with a new medication. The drug is called risperidone. It has been shown in studies to reduce the severity and frequency of aggressive and agitated behaviors in elderly people with dementia. Nearly 80 percent of people in the late stages of dementia develop violent behaviors.