title: Risperidone treatment of behavioral disturbances in outpatients with dementia.
abstract: The authors retrospectively assessed the effectiveness and side effects of risperidone used to treat behavioral disturbances in elderly outpatients with dementia. In 41 patients treated with risperidone 1.8 +/- 1.4 mg/day, there was complete suppression of the target symptom in 15%, partial response in 41%, and no response in 44%. Risperidone appeared equally effective in treating agitation and psychosis. New or worsening extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) occurred in 32%, associated with longer duration of treatment and possibly with concomitant use of serotonergic anti-depressants. Risperidone was a useful adjunct in the treatment of agitation and psychosis in outpatients with dementia but was limited by EPS in about one-third of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Irizarry
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ghaemi
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lee-Cherry
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gomez-Isla
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Growdon
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone