title: Changes in nursing burden following memantine for agitation and aggression in long-term care residents with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease: an open-label pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Agitation and aggression are common neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with a negative impact on caregivers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine whether changes in agitation and aggression would follow memantine treatment and, if so, be associated with changes in nursing burden in institutionalized patients with moderate to severe AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 3-month open-label trial of memantine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The setting was two long-term care facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one institutionalized patients with moderate to severe AD and significant behavioural and psychiatric symptoms were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Memantine was titrated to a target dose of 10 mg twice daily.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effectiveness was assessed by the change in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home (NPI-NH) agitation/aggression subscale and Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) scale using the intent-to-treat population. To establish caregiver impact, the effect on nursing burden was measured by the Modified Nursing Care Assessment Scale (primary outcome). As a secondary analysis, the caregiver distress subscale of the NPI-NH was examined, as well as changes in as required (pro re nata [prn]) psychotropic medication use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients completed the study. A significant decrease in agitation and aggression (F-test with 3 and 90 degrees of freedom [F(3,90)] = 3.721, p = 0.014) was demonstrated following memantine, with 48% of patients improving (either much improved or minimally improved) on the CGI-C scale. In addition, nursing burden (t-test with 30 degrees of freedom [t(30)] = 3.02, p = 0.005), caregiver distress (F(3,90) = 4.125, p = 0.009) and the use of prn psychotropics decreased following memantine treatment (Z = -1.99, p = 0.046). Fourteen patients experienced at least one adverse event during memantine treatment. The most common adverse event associated with treatment was somnolence (n = 5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that the decreased agitated and aggressive behaviour in institutionalized patients with moderate to severe AD following treatment with memantine was accompanied by improvements in nursing burden and decreased psychotropic use. These findings should be confirmed in a larger, controlled trial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cappell
authors.forename: Goran M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Eryavec
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lanctôt
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D008559:Memantine