title: Frontotemporal dementia: paroxetine as a possible treatment of behavior symptoms. A randomized, controlled, open 14-month study.
abstract: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents an important cause for degenerative disruption and is increasingly recognized as an important cause (up to 25%) of degenerative dementia among late-middle-age individuals. The serotoninergic system is tightly bound to frontal circuits, whose degeneration subserves FTD. Patients aged 64-68 years, with a diagnosis of FTD, were randomized to receive paroxetine up to 20 mg/day (n = 8) or piracetam up to 1,200 mg/day (n = 8). At 14 months, the patients treated with paroxetine showed significant improvements in behavioral symptoms, reflected by a reduction of caregiver stress. Side effects were easily tolerable, and there was no dropout. The results are presented with an overview of the literature on the topic.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Patologia, UCO di Neurologia, Università di Trieste, Italia. moretti@univ.trieste.it
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torre
authors.forename: Rodolpho M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Antonello
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cazzato
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bava
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D017374:Paroxetine; D010889:Piracetam; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors