How do we recognise, assess, and treat the neuropsychiatric symptoms that so often define life with dementia? In this episode, Professor Clive Ballard joins Dr John Harrison to discuss the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression, agitation, apathy, anxiety, and psychosis, across Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

They explore:

• How common these symptoms really are, and why they are so often missed
• The real‑world consequences and long‑term outcomes of these symptoms for patients and caregivers
• Practical, first-line non‑pharmacological strategies clinicians and caregivers can use today
• When (and when not) to reach for medications, including antidepressants and antipsychotics
• Special challenges in dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal, and vascular dementia
• Why the UK and other health systems risk falling behind on emerging treatments

Rich with case examples and clear, actionable advice, this conversation reframes neuropsychiatric symptoms as a core treatment priority in dementia care.

Guest: Professor Clive Ballard

Professor Clive Ballard is a psychiatrist and Professor of Age-Related Diseases at the University of Exeter. Professor Ballard previously held directorship roles at King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry and at the Alzheimer’s Society. He is an advocate of implementing effective non-pharmacological interventions and better prescribing and treatment pathways to improve outcomes for individuals with dementia.

Host: Dr John Harrison

Dr John Harrison is a chartered psychologist at Metis Cognition, where he advises drug developers and institutions on cognitive testing in therapeutic development programmes. He is an Associate Professor at the Alzheimer’s Center Amsterdam, where he validates new cognitive testing paradigms for use with individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease.

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