Dementia: differential diagnosis and treatment.

With careful differential diagnosis and judicious treatment, you may be able to reverse certain aspects of dementia in the elderly. Drug toxicity, depression, metabolic and endocrine disorders, and other systemic problems are all potentially treatable causes of mental deterioration. Even when the cause cannot be identified, you can still treat the patient's symptoms. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antianxiety agents, plus supportive measures, often effect marked improvement.