Non-pharmacological interventions for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol

Introduction: Dementia patients often experience behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD), which severely affect their quality of life and activities of daily living. Non-pharmacological interventions are effective in treating BPSD, according to multiple clinical trials and systematic reviews. However, the optimal non-pharmacological treatment remains controversial. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate and compare multiple non-pharmacological methods for treating BPSD in order to identify the optimal non-pharmacological intervention.Objective: This study aims to perform a systematic review and network meta analysis of evidence on non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of BPSD, which may potentially guide future research and clinical decisions.Methods: In order to select potentially relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 10 academic databases and 3 clinical trial registries will be systematically searched from inception until the 1 October 2022. Two researchers will independently extract information from eligible articles. The primary outcome is the severity of BPSD. Herein, Pairwise and Bayesian network meta-analyses will be conducted utilizing STATA 15.0 and ADDIS 1.16.8. Evidence quality will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).Results: Results from this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals or conference reports.Discussion: In this study, we aim to comparatively assess the efficacy of various non-pharmacological treatments for BPSD. Findings from this review will help clinicians to make evidence-based treatment decisions.