Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia: is it the next challenge for clinicians in the Middle East?

Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease of the brain in which there is a disturbance of higher cognitive functions. The rates of dementia as well as the financial burden are increasing worldwide. Dementia is an area of growing concern in the middle income countries where the numbers of elderly populations are rising. Moreover, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are difficult to manage in a system based only on a pharmacological treatment because of the lack of evidence for specific medical intervention and the current concerns raised regarding the use of antipsychotics in dementia. The current medical profession in the Middle East should be prepared for this coming challenge, therefore, an urgent need for education and training among mental health workers is mandatory to develop a culturally sensitive multidisciplinary approach to deal with this multi-factorial problem.