Behavioral Assessment and Treatment of Disruptive Vocalization.
Disruptive vocalization (DV) is the most common form of agitation displayed by patients suffering from dementia. DV is prevalent in both community and institutional settings and the problem impacts negatively on both patients and their caregivers. In this article the author discusses various individual patient characteristics and environmental factors that are believed to influence the manifestation of DV. Data from preliminary environmental/behavioral intervention studies are presented. The author concludes that there is evidence to suggest that the behavior of even severely demented patients is influenced by factors in their environment. Moreover, simple environmental/behavioral interventions show promise in the treatment of DV. Suggestions are presented for improving future research in this area.