Articles: alzheimer-disease-complications.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer's disease: design and methods.
Agitation is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is associated with serious adverse consequences for patients and caregivers. Evidence-supported treatment options for agitation are limited. The citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer's disease (CitAD) study was designed to evaluate the potential of citalopram to ameliorate these symptoms. ⋯ The authors believe the design elements in CitAD are important features to be included in trials assessing the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications for clinically significant agitation in AD.
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Review Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Sertraline or mirtazapine for depression in dementia (HTA-SADD): a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Depression is common in dementia but the evidence base for appropriate drug treatment is sparse and equivocal. We aimed to assess efficacy and safety of two of the most commonly prescribed drugs, sertraline and mirtazapine, compared with placebo. ⋯ UK National Institute of Health Research HTA Programme.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
PBT2 rapidly improves cognition in Alzheimer's Disease: additional phase II analyses.
PBT2 is a copper/zinc ionophore that rapidly restores cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A recent Phase IIa double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that the 250 mg dose of PBT2 was well-tolerated, significantly lowered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-beta42, and significantly improved executive function on a Neuro-psychological Test Battery (NTB) within 12 weeks of treatment in patients with AD. In the post-hoc analysis reported here, the cognitive, blood marker, and CSF neurochemistry outcomes from the trial were subjected to further analysis. ⋯ Receiver-operator characteristic analyses revealed that the probability of an improver at any level coming from the PBT2 250 mg group was significantly greater, compared to placebo, for Composite z-scores (Area Under the Curve [AUC] =0.76, p=0.0007), Executive Factor z-scores (AUC =0.93, p=1.3 x 10(-9)), and near-significant for the ADAS-cog (AUC =0.72, p=0.056). There were no correlations between changes in CSF amyloid-beta or tau species and cognitive changes. These findings further encourage larger-scale testing of PBT2 for AD.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Feb 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialMelatonin fails to improve sleep or agitation in double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of institutionalized patients with Alzheimer disease.
Patients with Alzheimer dementia often display both agitated behavior and poor sleep. Given that the disease is often associated with low endogenous levels of melatonin, exogenous melatonin administration may lead to improvements in sleep and agitation. ⋯ : This study failed to find a beneficial effect of exogenous melatonin, consistent with a number of other studies. The lack of efficacy may be related to the absence of a true treatment effect or to the superphysiologic dose of melatonin used.
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Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with Alzheimer's type dementia: randomised, controlled study.
Numerous studies have indicated the value of music therapy in the management of patients with Alzheimer's disease. A recent pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and usefulness of a new music therapy technique. The aim of this controlled, randomised study was to assess the effects of this new music therapy technique on anxiety and depression in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer-type dementia. ⋯ These results confirm the valuable effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. This new music therapy technique is simple to implement and can easily be integrated in a multidisciplinary programme for the management of Alzheimer's disease.