title: [Effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral unit on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive-behavioral units (CBUs) have been created in the context of the national Alzheimer plan 2008/2012 for the management of behavioral disorders of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease or related diseases. The Alzheimer plan promotes the evaluation of these units through the observation of the evolution of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the memory center of Lyon (hospices civils de Lyon) CBU on BPSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) was rated by the patients' caregiver (NPI-F) at admission to the CBU and 2 weeks after the discharge. The NPI was also rated by the nursing staff (NPI-NS) 3 days after admission in the CBU and at discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients admitted in the CBU between July and October 2001 were included in the study for a total of 28 patients. A significant reduction of NPI-F scores between admission (58.93 ± 24.8) and 2 weeks after the discharge (27.07 ± 19.70) (P<0.0001) was observed. Improvement was specifically observed for delusions, agitation, depression, anxiety, disinhibition and aberrant motor activity symptoms. No significant changes were found on NPI-NS scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study discloses benefits of CBUs in terms of BPSD reduction in patients 2 weeks after CBU discharge. These units have the potential to achieve their principal objective of reducing behavioral problems.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital des Charpennes, hospices civils de Lyon, 27, rue Gabriel-Péri, 69100 Villeurbanne, France. floriane.delphin-combe@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delphin-Combe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roubaud
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martin-Gaujard
authors.forename: M-E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rouch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krolak-Salmon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome