Our research shows that impaired judgment is very distressing for families. It is often harder on families than on patients, because impaired judgment means they have lost insight into their own behaviour. Importantly, however, improved judgment is often seen with drug treatments. Unfortunately, as with several other aspects of executive function Executive function
Includes the behaviors associated with judgment, agitation and social behavior - not memory. These behaviors are affected in all dementias, but especially in frontotemporal dementia., this important treatment response is often not captured by the standard ways we test drugs, which is why we are targeting it here- to give people a voice in how the drugs work.

This issue is described in more detail in Rockwood K et al., Potential treatment effects of donepezil not detected in Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role. clinical trials Clinical trials
Organized studies that test the value of various treatments, such as drugs or surgery, in human beings.: a physician survey. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Oct.19(10):954-60

As people respond to drug treatment by showing better judgment, I have sometimes found that they can be somewhat distressed by the realization that their judgment has been impaired. Many such patients seem to me to actively go through a process of 'rebuilding' their old selves. This issue has been discussed in more detail in: Rockwood K, et al., "The treatment of Alzheimer's disease: success short of cure".