The need for disinhibition-focused interventions in dementia: Comment on “Pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to reduce symptoms of disinhibited behaviors in dementia: A systematic review” by Burley et al

In this work by Burley and colleagues, a systematic review is undertaken to identify intervention research conducted in the past two decades which might elucidate strategies for decreasing disinhibited behaviors. Behavioral disinhibition may be a particularly stressful neuropsychiatric symptom for family caregivers to deal with (de Vugt etal., 2006). Because manifestations of behavioral disinhibition can sometimes involve behaviors that are socially stigmatizing or embarrassing (e.g. inappropriate sexual behavior), these symptoms may go underreported or untreated until behaviors become particularly severe. Furthermore, differences in study design (e.g. larger randomized clinical trials [RCTs] and case studies) and outcome measures preclude Burley and colleagues’ ability to directly compare results across studies. Dementia disproportionately impacts minority groups, yet these groups experience delayed diagnosis, lack of access to medical care, reduced research opportunities, and low trust with medical providers (Sluder, 2020).