title: Prevalence and correlates of psychotropic drug use in community-dwelling people with young-onset dementia: the NeedYD-study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young-onset dementia (YOD) is defined as dementia that develops before the age of 65 years. The prevalence and type of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in YOD differ from patients with late onset dementia. NPS in dementia patients are often treated with psychotropic drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate psychotropic drug use (PDU) in Dutch community-dwelling YOD patients and the association between age, gender, dementia etiology and severity, symptoms of depression, disease awareness, unmet needs, and type of NPS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychotropic drug use in 196 YOD patients was registered. Drugs were categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutical Chemical classification. The association between age, gender, dementia type, dementia stage, type of NPS, depressive symptoms, disease awareness, and amount of unmet needs on total PDU was analyzed using binomial logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two percent of the patients were prescribed at least one psychotropic drug; 36.2% of patients used one drug, and 12.2% used two different drugs. Antidepressants (36.2%) and antipsychotic drugs (17.3%) were the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs. Anti-dementia drugs were prescribed in 51.5% of the patients. Increasing age and moderate to severe depressive symptoms were positively associated with the total use of psychotropic drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-dwelling YOD patients have a high prevalence of PDU. More research is needed to study the association between unmet needs, NPS, and PDU, and psychosocial interventions have to be developed to limit the use of psychotropic drugs in YOD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care,Centre for Family Medicine,Geriatric Care and Public Health,Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC),Nijmegen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Raymond T C M
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care,Centre for Family Medicine,Geriatric Care and Public Health,Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC),Nijmegen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reinders
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care,Centre for Family Medicine,Geriatric Care and Public Health,Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC),Nijmegen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Deliane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Vliet
authors.affiliation: School for Mental Health and Neuroscience,Alzheimer Center Limburg,Maastricht University Medical Center,Maastricht,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans R J
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Verhey
authors.affiliation: School for Mental Health and Neuroscience,Alzheimer Center Limburg,Maastricht University Medical Center,Maastricht,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marjolein E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: de Vugt
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care,Centre for Family Medicine,Geriatric Care and Public Health,Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC),Nijmegen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care,Centre for Family Medicine,Geriatric Care and Public Health,Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC),Nijmegen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bakker
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents