ABSTRACT
Dementia is a syndrome characterised by memory impairment associated with de®cits in other cognitive abilities and it is usually accompanied by behavioural disorders leading to a progressive loss of the person's autonomy in common daily activities (Caltagirone et al., 2001). As the condition progresses the person can experience some of the following: memory loss, language impairment, disorientation, changes in personality, dif®culties with activities of daily living, self-neglect, psychiatric symptoms such as depression and psychosis, aggression, sleep disturbance, wandering or disinherited behaviour (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2006).
