title: Frontotemporal dementia: a randomised, controlled trial with trazodone.
abstract: Behavioural troubles due to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are difficult to treat. The serotonergic system is associated with frontal lobes, the degeneration of which contributes to FTD. Trazodone increases the extracellular 5-HT levels in the frontal cortex. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study, we investigated the effect of trazodone. There was a significant decrease in the Neuropsychiatry Inventory (NPI) total score with trazodone (p = 0.028) in the 26 evaluable patients. A decrease of more than 50% in the NPI score was observed in 10 patients with trazodone. This improvement was mainly based on the improvement of 4 items of the scale (irritability, agitation, depressive symptoms and eating disorders). The Mini-Mental State Examination was not modified and trazodone was well tolerated. Results of this first placebo-controlled trial suggest that trazodone is an effective treatment for the behavioural symptoms of FTD.
authors.affiliation: Memory Clinic, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France. flebert@nordnet.fr
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lebert
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stekke
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hasenbroekx
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasquier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010555:Personality Inventory; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014196:Trazodone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014196:Trazodone