http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/dementia/agitation-elderly

While dementia is marked by such cognitive deficits as disorientation, memory loss and changes in intellectual functioning, these are not the symptoms that cause the most distress to caregivers. - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/dementia/agitation-elderly#sthash.gEZwgaGJ.dpuf

Medications such as benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), neuroleptics and diphenhydramine can cause problems. - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/dementia/agitation-elderly#sthash.gEZwgaGJ.dpuf

Buspirone (BuSpar), a serotonergic azapirone anxiolytic, also has been used for agitation (Cantillon et al., 1996). It is an alternative to the benzodiazepines and does not produce their undesirable side effects. It has a slower onset of action, but shows little or no sedation and few drug-drug or drug-alcohol interactions. It does not impair psychomotor performance. Unlike benzodiazepines, it is not associated with withdrawal reactions and lacks dependence/abuse potential as evidenced by studies of drug discrimination and withdrawal in animals and clinical experience with patients, especially known substance abusers (Ayd, 1995). - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/dementia/agitation-elderly#sthash.gEZwgaGJ.dpuf