Anticholinergics and benzodiazepines on cognitive impairment among elderly with Alzheimer's disease: a 1 year follow-up study

The effect of anti-seizure medications on Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and AD-related symptoms: A scoping review

BackgroundAs the fastest-growing segment of the population, adults over 65 are at the most significant risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Older adults often use anti-seizure medications (ASMs), which can negatively impact cognitive function, mood, and behavior, mimicking AD or its symptoms. Understanding the effects of ASMs across diverse older adults is crucial, given that some ethnoracial groups are at higher risk for AD or more severe symptoms compared to non-Hispanic Whites.ObjectiveTo summarize the current evidence on the association of ASMs with AD risk and AD-related symptoms and explore the inclusion of ethnoracial minority groups in these studies.MethodsData sources included PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SCOPUS for English-language studies published between 1990-2024. Selected studies were peer-reviewed, cross-sectional, longitudinal, case-control, and clinical trials on AD dementia or related symptoms and ASMs. Study quality was rated by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Research Medicine.ResultsA total of 27 studies with 1,241,796 participants were included. Data on AD risk from level IB-IIIB evidence studies showed mixed results, with some indicating an increased association with ASM use [OR = 1.05-1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.24]. Studies on AD-related symptoms from level IB-IV evidence also showed mixed results. Only three North American studies explicitly included race/ethnicity; most were conducted in European countries.ConclusionsASM use may be modestly associated with an increased risk of AD among the older adult population, but current data are inconclusive. The association of ASMs on AD-related symptoms varied. Future studies should emphasize reporting sociodemographic data and include diverse cohorts to enhance the applicability of findings.

Anticholinergic burden for prediction of cognitive decline or neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia

BACKGROUND

Medications with anticholinergic properties are commonly prescribed to older adults with a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment. The cumulative anticholinergic effect of all the medications a person takes is referred to as the anticholinergic burden because of its potential to cause adverse effects. It is possible that a high anticholinergic burden may be a risk factor for further cognitive decline or neuropsychiatric disturbances in people with dementia. Neuropsychiatric disturbances are the most frequent complication of dementia that require hospitalisation, accounting for almost half of admissions; hence, identification of modifiable prognostic factors for these outcomes is crucial. There are various scales available to measure anticholinergic burden but agreement between them is often poor.

OBJECTIVES

Our primary objective was to assess whether anticholinergic burden, as defined at the level of each individual scale, was a prognostic factor for further cognitive decline or neuropsychiatric disturbances in older adults with pre-existing diagnoses of dementia or cognitive impairment. Our secondary objective was to investigate whether anticholinergic burden was a prognostic factor for other adverse clinical outcomes, including mortality, impaired physical function, and institutionalisation.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched these databases from inception to 29 November 2021: MEDLINE OvidSP, Embase OvidSP, PsycINFO OvidSP, CINAHL EBSCOhost, and ISI Web of Science Core Collection on ISI Web of Science.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included prospective and retrospective longitudinal cohort and case-control observational studies, with a minimum of one-month follow-up, which examined the association between an anticholinergic burden measurement scale and the above stated adverse clinical outcomes, in older adults with pre-existing diagnoses of dementia or cognitive impairment.   DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, and undertook data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and GRADE assessment. We summarised risk associations between anticholinergic burden and all clinical outcomes in a narrative fashion. We also evaluated the risk association between anticholinergic burden and mortality using a random-effects meta-analysis.  We established adjusted pooled rates for the anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) scale; then, as an exploratory analysis, established pooled rates on the prespecified association across scales.  MAIN RESULTS: We identified 18 studies that met our inclusion criteria (102,684 older adults). Anticholinergic burden was measured using five distinct measurement scales: 12 studies used the ACB scale; 3 studies used the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS); 1 study used the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS); 1 study used the Anticholinergic Effect on Cognition (AEC) Scale; and 2 studies used a list developed by Tune and Egeli.  Risk associations between anticholinergic burden and adverse clinical outcomes were highly heterogenous. Four out of 10 (40%) studies reported a significantly increased risk of greater long-term cognitive decline for participants with an anticholinergic burden compared to participants with no or minimal anticholinergic burden. No studies investigated neuropsychiatric disturbance outcomes. One out of four studies (25%) reported a significant association with reduced physical function for participants with an anticholinergic burden versus participants with no or minimal anticholinergic burden. No study (out of one investigating study) reported a significant association between anticholinergic burden and risk of institutionalisation. Six out of 10 studies (60%) found a significantly increased risk of mortality for those with an anticholinergic burden compared to those with no or minimal anticholinergic burden. Pooled analysis of adjusted mortality hazard ratios (HR) measured anticholinergic burden with the ACB scale, and suggested a significantly increased risk of death for those with a high ACB score relative to those with no or minimal ACB scores (HR 1.153, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.030 to 1.292; 4 studies, 48,663 participants). An exploratory pooled analysis of adjusted mortality HRs across anticholinergic burden scales also suggested a significantly increased risk of death for those with a high anticholinergic burden (HR 1.102, 95% CI 1.044 to 1.163; 6 studies, 68,381 participants).   Overall GRADE evaluation of results found low- or very low-certainty evidence for all outcomes.  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is low-certainty evidence that older adults with dementia or cognitive impairment who have a significant anticholinergic burden may be at increased risk of death. No firm conclusions can be drawn for risk of accelerated cognitive decline, neuropsychiatric disturbances, decline in physical function, or institutionalisation.

A phenotypic and molecular investigation of biofilm formation in clinical samples of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is identified as a versatile opportunistic microorganism with metabolic diversity contributing to a wide range of health burdens, especially in immunocompromised patients. This bacterium is the cause of 10 to 20% of nosocomial infections. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic characterizations of biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates using micro-titer plate assay. Indeed, we estimated the prevalence of QS (rhlI, rhlR, rhlAB, lasB, lasI, lasR, aprA) and virulence genes (pslA and cupA) by PCR. The results showed that among 69% of the isolates forming biofilm, 9% were strong biofilm producers, whereas 13% and 47% of isolates produced moderate and low amounts of biofilm, respectively. All isolates possessed cupA and seven QS genes (rhlI, rhlR, rhlAB, lasB,  lasI, lasR, aprA), while 92% of the isolates possessed the pslA gene. Identification of these genes and their association with biofilm formation can be advantageous in adopting therapeutic methods.

Anticholinergics and clinical outcomes amongst people with pre-existing dementia: A systematic review

Many medicines have anticholinergic properties, which have previously been correlated with a range of adverse effects, including cognitive impairment, hallucinations and delirium. These effects are potentially of concern for people with dementia. This systematic review investigated the effect of anticholinergic medicines on the health outcomes of people with pre-existing dementia. Embase, Medline and the Cochrane Library were searched from January 2000 to January 2021. Studies were included if they matched the following criteria: (1) the intervention involved anticholinergic medications; (2) the study was conducted in people with pre-existing dementia; (3) there was at least one comparator group; and (4) the outcome of interest was clinically measurable. A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies used an anticholinergic burden scale to measure anticholinergic exposure. Five high-quality studies consistently identified a strong association between anticholinergic medications and all-cause mortality. Anticholinergics were also found to be associated with longer hospital length of stay in three studies. Inconsistent findings were reported for cognitive function (in 4 studies) and neuropsychiatric functions (in 2 studies). In single studies, anticholinergic medications were associated with the composite outcome of stroke and mortality, pneumonia, delirium, poor physical performance, reduced health-related quality of life and treatment modifications due to reduced treatment response or symptom exacerbation. While the evidence suggests that anticholinergic medication use for people with dementia has a strong association with all-cause mortality, the association with cognitive and other clinical outcomes remains uncertain. Hence, further studies are needed to substantiate the evidence for other outcomes.

Drug-related problems of antipsychotics in treating delirium among elderly patients: A real-world observational study

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Delirium is more common and life-threatening among the elderly. Currently, no other medications, including antipsychotics, have been approved for delirium. The number of practice guidelines recommends antipsychotics to be the first option among selected patients. This study aimed to identify the type of drug-related problems (DRPs) concerning antipsychotics use among elderly patients with delirium.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted by collecting data from 2013 to 2016 in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Thailand. Inpatients who were 60 years and over, diagnosed with delirium by ICD-10 diseases coding F05.X and treated with antipsychotics for delirium were included. A modified version of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists classification criteria (mASHP-delirium) was used.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A total of 379 patients were enrolled. Mean daily dose of haloperidol (oral) was 1.06 ± 1.33 mg, haloperidol (intramuscular) 2.71 ± 1.88 mg, haloperidol (intravenous; IV) 3.42 ± 1.97 mg, risperidone was 0.71 ± 0.52 mg, and quetiapine was 19.26 ± 15.63 mg. Among all, 427 events were classified as DRPs. The most common DRPs included inappropriate duration, dose, route of administration or dosage form accounting for the 416 events (97.4%), followed by actual adverse drug reactions (extrapyramidal symptoms; EPS), 6 events (1.4%) and potential drug-drug interactions for 5 events (1.2%). Of those 416 events, 200 events (48.1%) antipsychotics were continued after discharge and continued for more than 10 days. Dosage exceeding initial dose or maximum daily dose accounted for 179 events (43.0%). Other DRPs such as inappropriate route haloperidol IV and receiving the extended-release dosage form of quetiapine involve 26 (6.3%) and 11 (2.6%) events, respectively.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study using mASHP-delirium to identify DRPs of antipsychotics in treating delirium among elderly patients. Several DRPs were found that might lead to severe adverse drug reactions, particularly EPS and QTc interval prolongation. However, all DRPs could be prevented by developing antipsychotic setting protocols and specialty consulting systems to communicate among healthcare providers caring for vulnerable groups of patients. In addition, a prospective pharmacist intervention is required.

The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South Shore Program: An update on management of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia

Geriatric patients with dementia frequently present with agitation, aggression, psychosis, and other behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). We present an update of our previously published algorithms for the use of psychopharmacologic agents in these patients taking into account more recent studies and findings in meta-analyses, reviews, and other published algorithms. We propose three algorithms: BPSD in an emergent, urgent, and non-urgent setting. In the emergent setting when intramuscular (IM) administration is necessary, the first-line recommendation is for olanzapine (since IM aripiprazole, previously favored, is no longer available) and haloperidol injection is the second choice, followed by possible consideration of an IM benzodiazepine. In the urgent setting, the first line would be oral second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) aripiprazole and risperidone. Perhaps next could be then prazosin, and lastly electroconvulsive therapy is a consideration. There are risks associated with these agents, and adverse effects can be severe. Dosing strategies, discontinuation considerations, and side effects are discussed. In the non-emergent setting, medications are proposed for use in the following order: trazodone, donepezil and memantine, antidepressants such as escitalopram and sertraline, SGAs, prazosin, and carbamazepine. Other options with less support but potential future promise are discussed.