Three nonpharmacologic interventions were clinically beneficial for patients with dementia and agitation or aggression, according to a network meta-analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers assessed over 160 randomised trials comparing various therapies for treating agitation or aggression with comparator therapies, placebo, or usual care among 23,000 patients with dementia.

Multidisciplinary care, massage and touch therapy, and music with massage/touch therapy were all clinically efficacious, relative to usual care.

The authors conclude that their findings "have important implications for persons with dementia and their care partners, suggesting that greater emphasis should be placed on nonpharmacologic approaches for treatment of aggression and agitation in persons with dementia."