title: Effects of medication on parotid salivary flow rates in an individual with dementia of the Alzheimer type.
abstract: Data available on the relationship between salivary function and specific drug therapy are sparse. We measured unstimulated and stimulated parotid salivary flow rates associated with the drug therapies. Our ancillary study design is an N = 1 double-blind randomized controlled trial in which the patient undergoes a series of treatment blocks of either placebo or active treatment. The purpose of the parent N of 1 study was to find the "best single drug" treatment for a resistive patient diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type. This study demonstrates that thiothixene was associated with inconsistent effects on parotid flow. Oxazepam had no effect on his parotid function, and diphenhydramine hydrochloride had inconsistent but generally negative effects. The data also show that this individual with dementia of the Alzheimer type had lower baseline unstimulated and stimulated parotid salivary flow rates when compared with mean "normal" values; however, flow rates were above the lowest 10th percentile of "normal" volunteers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Delivery, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland 21201, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Volicer
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Herz
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010076:Oxazepam / Q000009:adverse effects; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D013888:Thiothixene / Q000009:adverse effects; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D010076:Oxazepam; D013888:Thiothixene; D004155:Diphenhydramine