[Bladder disorders in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Rational diagnostic and therapeutic options]

In addition to cognitive failures, urinary incontinence is the central symptom in patients with demential syndromes. Cerebral atrophic processes with loss of cerebral bladder control result in the typical uninhibited bladder with urge syndrome and urge incontinence. In principle, all diagnostic and therapeutic options are available for those patients. However, the extent and invasivity of diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedures should individually be adapted to the patient's symptoms, age, physical and mental status. In most of the cases, non-invasive diagnostic procedures, with the bladder diary as the central diagnostic tool, are able to classify the bladder disorder. The patient's capability of active cooperation to the therapy and the prerequisites in nursing support determine the therapeutic strategies which are above all pharmacological relaxation of the detrusor, continence training programmes including behavioural modification and optimizing the patient's supply with pads. In most of the cases complete continence cannot be achieved. Therefore the primary aim of the therapy in patients with demential syndromes must be the guarantee of social continence which allows the patient an integration in his social environment.