Psychotropic use and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients with dementia in the USA.

ABSTRACT: To determine the national prevalence of psychotropic use and association with neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients with dementia.Participants diagnosed with dementia (n?=?414) in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study, a nationally representative survey of US adults >70?years old. Diagnosis was based on in-person clinical assessment and informant interview. Information collected included demographics, place of residence, 10-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and prescribed medications (antipsychotic, sedative-hypnotic, antidepressant, mood stabilizer).Of 414 participants with dementia, 41.4% were prescribed a psychotropic medication, including 84.0% of nursing home residents and 28.6% of community-dwellers. Of participants, 23.5% were prescribed an antidepressant. Compared with the total NPI score of those on no medication (4.5), those on antipsychotics and those on sedative-hypnotics had much higher scores (respectively: 12.6, p?

SUBMITTER: Maust DT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4990518 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature