Methylphenidate May Reduce Symptoms of Apathy in Patients With Alzheimer ’s Disease

Methylphenidate may be able to help reduce symptoms of apathy in people with Alzheimer ’s disease, according to areport published Monday inJAMA Neurology.“Apathy, characterized by diminished will or initiative and one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer disease, is associated with significant caregiver burden, excess disability, increased medical costs, and mortality,” wrote Jacobo Mintzer, M.D., M.B.A., of the Medical University of South Carolina and colleagues. “Methylphenidate offers a treatment approach providing a modest but potentially clinically significant benefit for patients and caregivers.”For the study, the researchers recruited individuals with possible or probable Alzheimer ’s disease (AD), mild to moderate cognitive impairment, and frequent and/or severe apathy from clinical centers specializing in dementia care. Two hundred participants (aged 71 to 81 years) were randomly divided into either the methylphenidate or placebo group. The participants took identical-appe aring capsules (capsules contained either 5 mg of generic methylphenidate or placebo), starting with one capsule two times a day, then two capsules twice daily for six months. The researchers followed up with the participants by telephone at days 15, 45, and 75 after the start of the study and in pe rson monthly for six months. Participants and their caregivers received a standardized psychosocial intervention, including a 20- to 30-minute counse...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Alzheimer's disease apathy cognitive impairment JAMA Neurology methylphenidate Neuropsychiatric Inventory Source Type: research