The effect of gabapentin and pregabalin on agitation in dementia: Case series of ten patients

Rev Neurol (Paris). 2024 Feb 3:S0035-3787(24)00020-1. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.11.006. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTNeurobehavioral symptoms are difficult to manage in dementia patients. Agitation may negatively impact patients' health and increase the caregiver burden. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches can be adopted to reduce agitation. Recently, positive effects of gabapentinoids have been identified in case reports with promising results and good safety profiles. This observational study was aimed to evaluate the effects of gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin) on agitation in patients with dementia and to document any adverse effects. This was an observational study consisting of ten patients (six female, four male). The mean age was 85.6years (range: 67-97). Eight of the patients (80%) were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and two were diagnosed with mixed dementia. All patients were using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine either as a monotherapy or combined. No laboratory abnormalities were identified. The Modified Overt Aggression Scale was used to evaluate agitation. Each medication was started with a minimum dose at bedtime (100mg for gabapentin and 25mg for pregabalin) and gradually increased depending on its effect and adverse effects. The median dose was 366.7mg/d (range: 200-600) for gabapentin and 109.4mg/d (range: 25-300) for pregabalin. Agitation was taken under control within days in nine patients (90%) (three receivin...
Source: Revue Neurologique - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research