Ziprasidone for agitation or psychosis in dementia: four cases

Atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of psychotic symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review

With the advancement of Alzheimer's disease as well as other types of dementia, in addition to the cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms have been outlined, including psychotic symptoms. The aim of the study is to review the available results on the antipsychotic treatment of Alzheimer's disease associated psychotic symptoms. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. The second objective is to assess the tolerability of this treatment. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, which took place over the course of at least 4 weeks, have been searched. Studies that compared one atypical antipsychotic to placebo, as well as more atypical antipsychotics, compared one to another, have been taken into account. In total 17 studies have been selected. The efficacy of the atypical antipsychotics has proven to be significant in most studies. Moreover, antipsychotic medication, such as risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine and pimavanserin, has been well tolerated. Atypical antipsychotics are the treatment of choice for psychotic symptoms in dementia. Despite the consistent results present in the literature up to this point, various antipsychotics remain insufficiently studied and would need more generous sample sizes for their outcomes to be substantiated.

Management of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Neurocognitive Disorders

Dementias, renamed neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) in the DSM-5, are defined by acquired decline in cognitive and functional abilities. DSM-5 now also includes mild NCD, which incorporates the previous diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. DSM-5 recognizes the following etiologies for NCDs: NCD due to Alzheimer's disease, vascular NCD, NCD with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal NCD, substance-/medication-induced NCD, NCD due to traumatic brain injury, NCD due to Huntington's disease, NCD due to HIV infection, NCD due to prion disease, and NCD due to other medical conditions. In this review, the authors discuss a wide variety of interventions that have been studied for the treatment and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with NCDs. In addition to nonpharmacological interventions, several classes of medications-including antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and cholinesterase inhibitors-have been studied for this indication.

Ziprasidone attenuates brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic drug used for the treatment of schizophrenia. Recent studies have reported that atypical antipsychotics have neuroprotective effects against brain injury. In the present study, the effect of ziprasidone on ischemic brain injury was investigated. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. All the animals experienced ischemia for 1h and then underwent reperfusion. The infarct size induced by MCAO was significantly reduced in the animals that received acute treatment with 5mg/kg ziprasidone and subchronic treatment with 2.5mg/kg ziprasidone for 7 days compared with that in the vehicle-treated animals. The acute treatment with ziprasidone significantly improved neurological functions, as measured by the modified neurological severity score, in a dose-dependent manner. The subchronic treatment produced more rapid recovery from functional deficits than the vehicle treatment. The immunohistochemical investigation revealed that the subchronic treatment prevented severe loss of neuronal marker intensity and attenuated the increased in microglial marker intensity in the infarcted cortical area. These results suggest that ziprasidone has neuroprotective effects in a rat model of ischemic stroke and provide new insight for its clinical applications.

Alternatives to atypical antipsychotics for the management of dementia-related agitation

Numerous recent studies have challenged the widely held belief that atypical antipsychotics are safe and effective options for the treatment of behavioural problems such as agitation in patients with dementia. Accordingly, there is a need to reconsider the place of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of patients with dementia. The present article is intended to assist clinicians with the assessment and pharmacological management of agitation in patients with dementia. We review the risk-benefit evidence for the use of atypical antipsychotics in patients with dementia-related agitation (DRA). Emerging evidence indicates that, for patients with dementia, the risks associated with atypical antipsychotics may outweigh the benefits except for patients with severe agitation who require short-term chemical restraint. We then discuss the importance of a careful assessment to rule out potentially reversible factors contributing to DRA. Finally, we summarize the evidence supporting the use of medications other than antipsychotics to treat DRA. There is wide variability in the levels of evidence supporting the use of non-antipsychotic medication for the treatment of DRA. The best evidence currently exists for cholinesterase inhibitors and serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. Emerging reports suggest that numerous other medications, for example, antiepileptics, lithium, anxiolytics, analgesics, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, cannabinoid receptor agonists and hormonal agents, may prove to be viable alternatives to antipsychotics for the treatment of severe DRA and more research is urgently needed to help assess the effectiveness of these agents. A comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and treatment plan is likely the most effective way to manage DRA.

Ziprasidone in the treatment of mania in bipolar disorder

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic with a unique receptor-binding profile. Currently, ziprasidone is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the acute treatment of psychosis in schizophrenia and mania in bipolar disorder. When compared to certain other atypical antipsychotics, ziprasidone appears to have a relatively benign side effect profile, especially as regards metabolic effects eg, weight gain, serum lipid elevations and glucose dysregulation. Taken together, these data suggest that ziprasidone may be a first line treatment for patients with bipolar mania. However, ziprasidone is a relatively new medication for which adverse events after long-term use and/or in vulnerable patient populations must be studied. Unstudied areas of particular importance include the efficacy and safety of ziprasidone in the treatment of bipolar depression and relapse prevention of mania as, well as in the subpopulations of pregnant women, the elderly and pediatric patients. The emergence of mania in patients taking ziprasidone is another topic for further study.

Atypical antipsychotics to treat the neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in older adults with dementia and can be associated with a rapid decline in cognitive and functional status. This article reviews the current literature supporting the use of atypical antipsychotic medications in this population. Among the currently available atypical antipsychotics, risperidone and olanzapine have been the most widely studied in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Despite the common use of other atypical antipsychotic medications, their efficacy and safety in older adults with dementia has not been as extensively studied. Some controversy surrounds the use of atypical antipsychotic agents in older adults with the suggestion that they may increase the incidence of stroke or even death. Despite the potential for increased risk of harm from the use of these medications, atypical antipsychotics are often effective in treating troublesome neuropsychiatric symptoms refractory to other treatments. Whenever possible, these atypical antipsychotic drug treatments should be combined with non-pharmacological treatments to limit the need and dose of antipsychotic drugs and constant monitoring for potential harms should be maintained. The choice of which atypical antipsychotic agent can be guided by the nature and severity of the target symptom and the medication least likely to cause harm to the patient.

Use of atypical antipsychotics in neurodegenerative diseases

Behavioral and psychotic disturbances are common symptoms in neurodegenerative disorders, and can lead to caregiver stress, nursing home placement and mortality. There is an expanding literature evaluating the effects of atypical antipsychotic (AA) drugs for treating these problems. The results in both primary dementias and Parkinson’s disease suggest that not all AA drugs are equal in terms of efficacy or safety. Furthermore, Parkinsonian and other side effects of the AAs are important to consider when evaluating outcomes. The recent US FDA warning of increased mortality has increased uncertainty in using these drugs. This article reviews the AAs and their use in Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease and other associated dementias.