Conditions and symptoms
What Is Dementia-Related Psychosis? Boxed Warning Explained
Dementia-related psychosis · say it: dih-MEN-shuh rih-LAY-tid sy-KOH-sisAlso written: psychosis in dementia, behavioural symptoms of dementia, BPSD
Short answer
Dementia-related psychosis means hallucinations or false beliefs in a person with dementia. Many antipsychotic labels carry a boxed warning about it.
What it means
Dementia-related psychosis is when a person with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, has symptoms of psychosis: seeing or hearing things that are not there, or believing things that are not true, such as that someone is stealing from them. It can be distressing for the person and their carers.
Antipsychotic medicine labels carry a boxed warning that older people with dementia-related psychosis who take antipsychotics have a higher risk of death, mostly from heart problems or infections such as pneumonia, and a higher risk of stroke with some medicines. Most antipsychotics are not approved for this use. The warning does not ban their use, but it is telling doctors and families to weigh the risks very carefully, try other approaches first where possible, and review the need regularly.
Dementia-related psychosis is different from delirium, a sudden confusion often caused by infection, medicines or dehydration, which needs prompt medical assessment. It is also different from schizophrenia, which usually starts much earlier in life.
Where you may see it
- Boxed warnings at the top of antipsychotic labels
- Care home and memory clinic notes
- Medicine review letters for older people
📄 How it looks on a report
WARNING: INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It does not mean the medicine cannot be used at all; doctors sometimes decide the benefit outweighs the risk.
- It does not apply only to one medicine; it covers antipsychotics as a group.
- New confusion in a person with dementia is not always psychosis; it may be delirium.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Dementia-related psychosis”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Dementia-related psychosis”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Aripiprazole
an atypical antipsychotic medicine
- Olanzapine
An atypical antipsychotic, a prescription medicine used for certain mental health conditions
- Quetiapine
An atypical antipsychotic medicine
- Risperidone
an atypical antipsychotic medicine
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Dementia-related psychosis” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
Seeing this word on your own report? Get every line of it explained, free.
Explain my report🧩 Related words
🔎 Look up another word
More words: conditions and symptoms
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.