Loading...
Neuropsychiatric symptoms occur commonly in patients with Alzheimer disease and can precede cognitive decline. Psychotropic drugs are prescribed widely for neuropsychiatric symptoms, but their long-term safety and efficacy remains unproven. In this U.S. longitudinal, observational study, researchers examined the effect of psychotropic medications (i.e., antidepressants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines) on validated tests of cognitive status, functional status, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in 8000 U.S. patients (mean age, 75) with Alzheimer disease (mean baseline Mini-Mental State Examination score, 21).
Patients for whom psychotropic agents were prescribed were propensity-score matched (based on clinical characteristics and baseline dem…