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Not Viable Anti-psychotic
Alzheimer’s Worsens for Patients Taking Quetiapine,
Researchers Say
Feb. 18, 2005 - Quetiapine, a drug commonly used in
nursing homes to treat agitation and related symptoms in people with
Alzheimer's Disease actually worsens patients' illness, speeding up
their rate of decline significantly, says a paper published on bmj.com
today.
Anti-psychotic drugs are used in up to 45% of
nursing homes to treat agitation, a common and distressing symptom of
dementia, according to the authors of this British study.
Researchers found that, when given a placebo as
treatment for these symptoms, patients showed little change. But those
patients given the commonly used antipsychotic drug quetiapine showed a
marked worsening in the condition with marked deterioration of memory
and other higher brain functions (cognitive decline).
This is particularly significant as quetiapine had
been regarded as one of the safer of the antipsychotic drugs available,
say the authors.
The study looked at 93 patients with dementia
across the north east of England over six months. Those in the study
taking quetiapine experienced a doubling in cognitive decline compared
with the control group who had been given placebo. Those taking another
antipsychotic in the trial, rivatigmine, showed little or no worsening
of their illness - but no improvement in symptoms above the placebo
group.
There have been concerns about the safety of the
two most commonly used antipsychotic drugs in people with dementia,
risperidone and olanzapine, because of increased risk of stroke, say the
authors.
The current study highlights considerable concern
regarding the safety of quetiapine, and suggest that quetipaine is not a
viable alternative to these medications.
[NEWS/_adstuff/AD-Links-Sections/AlzheimersButton.htm]This study has vital implications for the treatment
of patients with dementia, argue the authors. Quetiapine should not be
used instead of other drugs for alleviating their symptoms, and these
findings highlight concerns over long-term use of antipsychotics in
these patients, they say.
“Given current concerns about the risk of stroke
with risperidone and olanzapine,
further studies are required to enable evidence-based pharmacological
management of behavioral disturbance in dementia,” they write.
“Quetiapine and rivastigmine seemed of no benefit
in patients with dementia and agitation in institutional care, and
quetiapine was associated with greater cognitive decline than placebo.
Our results suggest that quetiapine should not be used as an alternative
treatment to risperidone or olanzapine in people with dementia and
highlight concerns regarding the long term use of antipsychotics in
these patients.”
Click here to view full paper:
http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/february/alzheimers.pdf
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