Innovative Framework to Assess the Costs of Untreated Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease (AAD)

In the past decade, researchers and advocates have taken steps towards quantifying the full costs of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. However, our current understanding of these costs does not fully consider the behavioral symptoms of dementia, notably agitation. Agitation in Alzheimer’s disease contributes to negative social and financial outcomes for people with the condition, their care partners, and health systems. When left untreated, the negative impact of these outcomes is exacerbated, yet the scale of this impact is unknown. A review of the literature shows that there are no frameworks to help assess the true costs of agitation calling for a need for further research and assessment.