Consumption of pharmaceuticals in primary non-Alzheimer's degenerative dementias : a cross-sectional study by the Registry of Dementias of Girona (ReDeGi).

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists regarding the consumption of psychopharmaceuticals for non-Alzheimer's degenerative dementias (n-ADDs), despite the fact that the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of these diseases is an important challenge for clinicians. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe sociodemographic and clinical data from 235 patients with various subtypes of n-ADD, together with the level of consumption of pharmaceuticals with central nervous system activity. METHODS: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted using the data registered by the Registry of Dementias of Girona, northeast Catalunya, Spain. All drugs were categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. RESULTS: The results showed a high level of psychopharmaceutical prescription 48.9 % of the n-ADD patients used acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and 9.8 % used memantine. Antipsychotics and benzodiazepines were prescribed to 45.5 and 46.8 % of the patients, respectively. Antidepressants were consumed by 70.2 % of the registered cases. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of psychopharmaceutical prescribing were observed in our study and many of these prescriptions lacked specific indications for n-ADDs. It is necessary to consider the risk-benefit relationship before prescribing pharmaceuticals. Specific training programmes will be necessary to improve the use of pharmaceuticals in n-ADD patients.