severe dementia show worsening cognitive deficits with pronounced physical decline that includes loss of motor function and inability to eat and drink (Alzheimer’s-Association, 2019). Anxiety and fear are common symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (Chung & Cummings, 2000; Ferretti, McCurry, Logsdon, Gibbons, & Teri, 2001). Moreover, Alzheimer’s disease patients ranging from mild to severe stages exhibit apathy (72% of patients), agitation (60%), anxiety (48%), irritability (42%), aberrant motor behavior (38%), delusions (22%), and hallucinations (10%) (Mega, Cummings, Fiorello, & Gornbein, 1996) indicating that disease progression is associated with a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities.
