Pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer's dementia: State of the art and current dilemmas

World Journal of Biological Psychiatry

Volumn 9, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 69-75

  Omerovic, Muamer ^a   Hampel, Harald ^a,b   Teipel, Stefan J ^a   Buerger, Katharina ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH   (Germany)

^b ADELAIDE AND MEATH HOSPITAL   (Ireland)

Author keywords

Alzheimer's dementia; Behavioural disturbances; Pharmacological treatment

Indexed keywords

AMFEBUTAMONE; ANTICONVULSIVE AGENT; ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; ARIPIPRAZOLE; ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENT; CARBAMAZEPINE; CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITOR; CITALOPRAM; DONEPEZIL; GABAPENTIN; GALANTAMINE; LAMOTRIGINE; MEMANTINE; MIRTAZAPINE; MOCLOBEMIDE; NEUROLEPTIC AGENT; NIMODIPINE; NOOTROPIC AGENT; OLANZAPINE; PLACEBO; QUETIAPINE; RISPERIDONE; RIVASTIGMINE; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITOR; SERTRALINE; TRAZODONE; TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; UNINDEXED DRUG; VALPROIC ACID; VENLAFAXINE;

ABDOMINAL PAIN; AGING; ALZHEIMER DISEASE; ANOREXIA; ARTICLE; BEHAVIOR DISORDER; CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM; CLINICAL PROTOCOL; CLINICAL TRIAL; COGNITIVE DEFECT; DAILY LIFE ACTIVITY; DEMOGRAPHY; DIARRHEA; DRUG CHOICE; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG MECHANISM; DRUG POTENTIATION; DRUG SUBSTITUTION; DRUG TOLERABILITY; DRUG WITHDRAWAL; EARLY DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN; MAJOR DEPRESSION; NAUSEA; SYMPTOMATOLOGY; UNSPECIFIED SIDE EFFECT; VOMITING;

AGED; ALGORITHMS; ALZHEIMER DISEASE; ANTICONVULSANTS; ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS; ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENTS; CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORS; DOPAMINE AGONISTS; DRUG THERAPY; HUMANS; PSYCHOMOTOR AGITATION;

EID: 39149109144     PISSN: 15622975     EISSN: 18141412     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/15622970701568412     Document Type: Article

References (60)

1. Allain, H., Dautzenberg, PH, Maurer, K., Schuck, S., Bonhomme, D. and Gerard, D. (2000) Double blind study of tiapride versus haloperidol and placebo in agitation and aggressiveness in elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Psychopharmacology (Berlin), 148, pp. 361-366.
2. Ballard, C., Waite, J. and Birks, J. (2006) Atypical antipsychotics for aggression and psychosis in Alzheimer's disease.
3. Bains, J., Birks, JS and Dening, TD (2002) Antidepressants for treating depression in dementia.
4. Birks, J. (2006) Cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease.
5. Birks, J. and Evans, J Grimley (2007) Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia.
6. Birks, J. and Harvey, RJ (2006) Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.
7. Birks, J., Evans, J Grimley, Iakovidou, V. and Tsolaki, M. (2000) Rivastigminee for Alzheimer's disease.
8. Cacabelos, R., Takeda, M. and Winblad, B. (1999) The glutamatergic system and neurodegeneration in dementia: Preventive strategies in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 14, pp. 3-47.
9. Cummings, JL (2003) The impact of depressive symptoms on patients with Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord, 17, pp. 61-62.
10. Flicker, L. and Evans, J Grimley (2004) Piracetam for dementia or cognitive impairment.
11. Francis, PT, Palmer, AM, Snape, M. and Wilcock, GK (1999) The cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease: A review of progress. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 66, pp. 37-147.
12. Francois, C., Sintonen, H., Sulkava, R. and Rive, B. (2004) Cost effectiveness of memantine in moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease: A markov model in Finland. Clin Drug Invest, 24, pp. 373-384.
13. Gauthier, S., Reisberg, B. and Zaudig, M. (2006) National Psychogeriatric Association Expert Conference on mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment. Lancet, 367, pp. 1262-1270.
14. Gilley, DW, Wilson, RS, Bennett, DA, Bernard, BA and Fox, JH (1991) Predictors of behavioral disturbance in Alzheimer's disease. J Gerontol, 46, pp. 362-371.
15. Gonzalez-Salvador, T., Lyketsos, CG and Baker, A. (2000) Quality of life of patients with dementia in long-term care. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 15, pp. 181-189.
16. Herrmann, N., Lanctot, KL, Rothenburg, LS and Eryavec, G. (2007) A placebo-controlled trial of valproate for agitation and aggression in Alzheimer's disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 23, pp. 116-119.
17. Katona, CL, Hunter, BN and Bray, J. (1998) A double-blind comparison of the efficacy and safely of paroxetine and imipramine in the treatment of depression with dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 13, pp. 100-108.
18. Kopetz, ES, Steele, CD and Brandt, J. (2000) Characteristics and outcomes of dementia residents in an assisted living facility. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 15, pp. 586-593.
19. Lanctot, KL, Herrmann, N., van Reekum, R., Eryavec, G. and Naranjo, CA (2002) Gender, aggression and serotonergic function are associated with response to sertraline for behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 17, pp. 531-541.
20. Larson, EB, Shadlen, MF and Wang, L. (2004) Survival after initial diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Ann Intern Med, 140, pp. 501-509.
21. Lopez-Arrieta, JM and Birks, J. (2002) Nimodipine for primary degenerative, mixed and vascular dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev
22. Lonergan, E., Luxenberg, J., Colford, J. and Birks, J. (2002) Haloperidol for agitation in dementia.
23. Loveman, E., Green, C. and Kirby, J. (2006) The clinical and cost-effectiveness of donepezil, Rivastigminee, Galantaminee and memantine for Alzheimer's disease. Health Technol Assess, 10:1, pp. 1-160.
24. Loy, C. and Schneider, L. (2006) Galantaminee for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
25. Lyketsos, CG, Sheppard, JM, Steele, CD, Kopunek, S., Steinberg, M. and Baker, AS (2000) Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of sertraline in the treatment of depression complicating Alzheimer's disease: Initial results from the Depression in Alzheimer's Disease study. Am J Psychiatry, 157, pp. 1686-1689.
26. Lyketsos, CG, Lopez, O., Jones, B., Fitzpatrick, AL, Breitner, J. and DeKosky, S. (2002) Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia and mild cognitive impairment: Results from the cardiovascular health study. J Am Med Assoc, 288, pp. 1475-1483.
27. Lyketsos, CG, DelCampo, L. and Steinberg, M. (2003) Treating depression in Alzheimer disease: Efficacy and safety of sertraline therapy, and the benefits of depression reduction: The DIADS. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 60, pp. 737-746.
28. Magai, C., Kennedy, G., Cohen, CI and Gomberg, D. (2000) A controlled clinical trial of sertraline in the treatment of depression in nursing home patients with late-stage Alzheimer's disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 8, pp. 66-74.
29. Marin, DB, Green, CR and Schmeidler, J. (1997) Noncognitive disturbances in Alzheimer's disease: Frequency, longitudinal course, and relationship to cognitive symptoms. J Am Geriatr Soc, 45, pp. 1331-1338.
30. Martinon-Torres, G., Fioravanti, M. and Grimley, EJ (2004) Trazodone for agitation in dementia.
31. McShane, R., Sastre, A Areosa and Minakaran, N. (2006) Memantine for dementia.
32. Meinhold, JM, Blake, LM, Mini, LJ, Welge, JA, Schwiers, M. and Hughes, A. (2005) Effect of divalproex sodium on behavioural and cognitive problems in elderly dementia. Drugs Aging, 22, pp. 615-626.
33. Moretti, R., Torre, P., Antonello, RM, Cattaruzza, T. and Cazzato, G. (2005) Olanzapine as a possible treatment of behavioral symptoms in vascular dementia: Risks of cerebrovascular events. A controlled, open-label study. J Neurol, 2, pp. 1186-1193.
34. Moretti, R., Torre, P., Antonello, RM, Cazzato, G. and Bava, A. (2003) Gabapentin for the treatment of behavioural alterations in dementia: preliminary 15-month investigation. Drugs Aging, 20, pp. 1035-1040.
35. Munro, CA, Brandt, J. and Sheppard, JM (2004) Cognitive response to pharmacological treatment for depression in Alzheimer disease: Secondary outcomes from the depression in Alzheimer's disease study (DIADS). Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 12, pp. 491-498.
36. Nyth, AL and Gottfries, CG (1990) The clinical efficacy of citalopram in treatment of emotional disturbances in dementia disorders. A Nordic multicentre study. Br J Psychiatry, 157, pp. 894-901.
37. Nyth, AL, Gottfries, CG, Lyby, K., Smedegaard-Andersen, L., Gylding-Sabroe, J. and Kristensen, M. (1992) A controlled multicenter clinical study of citalopram and placebo in elderly depressed patients with and without concomitant dementia. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 86, pp. 138-145.
38. Olin, JT, Fox, LS, Pawluczyk, S., Taggart, NA and Schneider, LS (2001) A pilot randomized trial of carbamazepine for behavioral symptoms in treatment-resistant outpatients with Alzheimer disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 9, pp. 400-405.
39. Olin, JT, Katz, IR, Meyers, BS, Schneider, LS and Lebowitz, BD (2002) Provisional diagnostic criteria for depression of Alzheimer disease: rationale and background. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 10:129-141. Erratum in: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 10, p. 264.
40. Petracca, G., Teson, A., Chemerinski, E., Leiguarda, R. and Starkstein, SE (1996) A double-blind placebo-controlled study of clomipramine in depressed patients with Alzheimer's disease. J. Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 8, pp. 270-275.
41. Porsteinsson, AP (2006) Divalproex sodium for the treatment of behavioural problems associated with dementia in the elderly. Drugs Aging, 23, pp. 877-886.
42. Payne, JL, Sheppard, JM, Steinberg, M., Warren, A., Baker, A. and Steele, C. (2002) Incidence, prevalence, and outcomes of depression in residents of a long-term care facility with dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 17, pp. 247-253.
43. Reifler, BV, Teri, L. and Raskind, M. (1989) Double-blind trial of imipramine in Alzheimer's disease patients with and without depression. Am J Psychiatry, 146, pp. 45-49.
44. Robert, PH and Allain, H. (2001) Clinical management of agitation in the elderly with tiapride. Eur Psychiatry, 16, pp. 42-47.
45. Roose, SP, Nelson, JC, Salzman, C., Hollander, SB and Rodrigues, H. (2003) Mirtazapine in the Nursing Home Study Group. Open-label study of mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets in depressed patients in the nursing home. Curr Med Res Opin, 19, pp. 737-746.
46. Roth, M., Mountjoy, CQ and Amrein, R. (1996) Moclobemide in elderly patients with cognitive decline and depression: An international double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry, 168, pp. 149-157.
47. Sajatovic, M., Ramsay, E., Nanry, K. and Thompson, T. (2007) Lamotrigine therapy in elderly patients with epilepsy, bipolar disorder or dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 22, pp. 945-950.
48. Schatzberg, AF, Kremer, C., Rodrigues, HE and Murphy, GM JR (2002) Mirtazapine vs. Paroxetine Study Group. Double-blind, randomized comparison of mirtazapine and paroxetine in elderly depressed patients. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 10, pp. 541-550.
49. Schneider, LS, Dagerman, KS and Insel, P. (2005) Risk of death with atypical antipsychotic drug treatment for dementia: Meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. J Am Med Assoc, 294, pp. 1934-1943.
50. Steele, C., Rovner, B., Chase, GA and Folstein, M. (1990) Psychiatric symptoms and nursing home placement of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiatry, 147, pp. 1049-1051.
51. Taragano, FE, Lyketsos, CG, Mangone, CA, Allegri, RF and Comesana-Diaz, E. (1997) A double-blind, randomized, fixed-dose trial of fluoxetine vs. amitriptyline in the treatment of major depression complicating Alzheimer's disease. Psychosomatics, 38, pp. 246-252.
52. Tariot, PN, Erb, R. and Leibovici, A. (1994) Carbamazepine treatment of agitation in nursing home patients with dementia: A preliminary study. J Am Geriatr Soc, 42, pp. 1160-1166.
53. Tariot, PN, Erb, R. and Podgorski, CA (1998) Efficacy and tolerability of carbamazepine for agitation and aggression in dementia. Am J Psychiatry, 155, pp. 54-61.
54. Tariot, PN, Jakimovich, LJ and Erb, R. (1999) Withdrawal from controlled carbamazepine therapy followed by further carbamazepine treatment in patients with dementia. J Clin Psychiatry, 60, pp. 684-689.
55. Tariot, PN, Raman, R. and Jakimovich, L. (2005) Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study; Valproate Nursing Home Study Group. Divalproex sodium in nursing home residents with possible or probable Alzheimer Disease complicated by agitation: A randomized, controlled trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 13, pp. 942-949.
56. Teipel, SJ, Ewers, M., Reisig, V., Schweikert, B., Hampel, H. and Happich, M. (2007) Long-term cost-effectiveness of donepezil for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 257, pp. 330-336.
57. Tekin, S., Aykut-Bingol, C., Tanridag, T. and Aktan, S. (1998) Antiglutamatergic therapy in Alzheimer's disease - effects of lamotrigine. Short communication. J Neural Transm, 105, pp. 295-303.
58. de Vasconcelos Cunha, UG, Lopes Rocha, F and Avila de Melo, R (2007) A placebo-controlled Double-blind randomized study of venlafaxine in the treatment of depression in dementia. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 24, pp. 36-41.
59. Weycker, D., Taneja, C. and Edelsberg, J. (2007) Cost-effectiveness of memantine in moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease patients receiving donepezil. Curr Med Res Opin, 23, pp. 1187-1197.
60. Winblad, B., Jones, RW, Wirth, Y., Stoffler, A. and Mobius, HJ (2007) Memantine in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease: A meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 24, pp. 20-27.