Antidepressants for agitation and psychosis in dementia
Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsPublished 4 February 2011Open access
Dallas Seitz, Nikesh Adunuri, Sudeep S. Gill, Andrea Gruneir, Nathan Herrmann, Paula A. Rochon
Citations294
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TL;DR
The safety and efficacy of antidepressants in treating psychosis and agitation in older adults with Alzheimer's disease, vascular, or mixed dementia is assessed and two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted trial data.
Abstract
Currently there are relatively few studies of antidepressants for the treatment of agitation and psychosis in dementia. The SSRIs sertraline and citalopram were associated with a reduction in symptoms of agitation when compared to placebo in two studies. Both SSRIs and trazodone appear to be tolerated reasonably well when compared to placebo, typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics. Future studies involving more subjects are required to determine if SSRIs, trazodone, or other antidepressants are safe and effective treatments for agitation and psychosis in dementia.
Keywords
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