Study: Should Antidepressant Celexa Be Used for Agitation in Dementia?

Agitation- including restlessness, wandering, combativeness and calling out- is a common challenge in Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia. So, what to do about it? A study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, outlining a trial of the antidepressant medication citalopram (brand names: Celexa and Cipramil) to treat agitation in dementia. Here are the results, which are both positive and negative: The participants who received citalopram showed a significant decrease in their agitation. Caregiver distress, which is increased by agitation, also significantly improved. However, those who received citalopram showed a decline in their cognitive ability over the 9-week course of the study, as well as an increase in cardiac issues associated with the medication. So, while there was an improvement in the levels of agitation, which can be so distressing both for the person experiencing it and for those watching it, there are tradeoffs with the use of this medication, according to this study. The Take-Away? It's great to see the exploration of some different possibilities for the treatment of agitation, but this study does not throw me into the fan club yet. As caregivers, professionals, family members and friends, we collectively still need to improve in the use of non-drug approaches. I realize that not all agitation and distress can be solved without medications, and I've written about times and circumstances when medication ...
Source: About Alzheimers Disease - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news