Adjunctive therapy in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A practical approach.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) primarily results in memory impairment and cognitive deficits in areas such as language, visuospatial function, calculation, praxis and judgement. However, over 30% of patients with dementia develop a group of secondary behavioural disturbances, including depression, hallucinations and delusions, agitation, insomnia and wandering. Because these secondary symptoms impair patients' function, increase their need for supervision, and often influence the decision to institutionalise them, the control of these symptoms is a priority in managing AD. Psychotropic drugs, particularly antipsychotics (neuroleptics), have been a mainstay in treating many of these symptoms, but carry a high risk of adverse effects. Patients with AD may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of medications because of changes in pharmacokinetics and neurotransmitter systems, related to both AD and aging. At present, treating secondary symptoms of AD is more of an art than a science. For virtually every group of symptoms, older and newer classes of medications are available, with proven efficacy in patients without dementia and less clear results in AD patients. We review current treatment options and suggest preferences for each symptom complex, based on a trade-off between efficacy and adverse effects. New agents, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical antipsychotics, may herald the arrival of symptom- (and receptor-) specific drugs with minimal adverse effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)