Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T23:30:50.938Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Aripiprazole is effective for the improvement of psychotic symptoms in patients with dementia with lewy bodies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

T. Kanbayashi
Affiliation:
Akita University School of Medicine, Neuropsychiatry, Akita, Japan
T. Shimizu
Affiliation:
Akita University School of Medicine, Neuropsychiatry, Akita, Japan

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

Dementia with lewy bodies (DLB) is commonly considered the second most common form of dementia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment effects of aripiprazole in patients with DLB.

Methods

Eleven patients who had meet the criteria for DLB participated in this study. The presence of psychotic symptoms was confirmed by scores of either the delusions or hallucinations items of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score. Patients who had 25 or more on the Mini-mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) at the entry or having brain damage were excluded. Aripiprazole was initiated at a low dose (3 or 6 mg/day) and titrated to higher doses at 2-weeks intervals or more rapidly based on investigator's judgment. Previous medications prior to aripiprazole administration were not changed through this trial. Patient's clinical status was assessed at baseline, then 2 weeks during the study by using NPI, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to measure psychotic behavioral symptoms, and Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) to measure parkinsonism symptoms. Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and MMSE were carried out at screening and end point to evaluate cognitive function.

Results

The mean scores of the SAS and CDR were significantly decreased at the study endpoint compared to baseline. The mean scores of the NPI and BPRS improved up until 4 weeks after having started aripiprazole. After 4 weeks, improvements slowed. The mean score of the CGI-S was decreased up until 8 weeks.

Conclusion

This study shows that aripiprazole may be effective for the treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with DLB.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EV1023
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2016
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.