PMID- 18306150
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20090330
LR  - 20181201
IS  - 0885-6230 (Print)
IS  - 0885-6230 (Linking)
VI  - 23
IP  - 9
DP  - 2008 Sep
TI  - Stopping antipsychotic drug therapy in demented nursing home patients: a 
      randomized, placebo-controlled study--the Bergen District Nursing Home Study 
      (BEDNURS).
PG  - 889-95
LID - 10.1002/gps.1998 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite modest efficacy, unpredictable individual utility, and a high 
      rate of adverse effects, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia 
      (BPSD) are common determinants for antipsychotic drug therapy in nursing home 
      patients. AIMS: To explore the impact on BPSD of stopping long-term antipsychotic 
      treatment in nursing home patients with dementia. METHODS: Fifty-five patients 
      (43 women; mean age 84.1) taking haloperidol, risperidone, or olanzapine for BPSD 
      were randomly assigned to cessation (intervention group, n=27) or continued 
      treatment with antipsychotic drugs (reference group, n=28) for 4 consecutive 
      weeks. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Questionnaire was used to examine 
      changes in behavioural and psychological symptoms. RESULTS: By study completion, 
      23 of the 27 intervention group patients were still off antipsychotics. Symptom 
      scores (NPI) remained stable or even improved in 42 patients (intervention group, 
      18 out of 27; reference group, 24 out of 28; p=0.18). As compared to patients 
      with stable or improved symptom scores, patients with behavioural deterioration 
      after antipsychotic cessation used higher daily drug doses at baseline (p=0.42). 
      CONCLUSION: A large share of elderly nursing home patients on long-term treatment 
      with antipsychotics for BPSD, do well without this treatment. Standardized 
      symptom evaluations and drug cessation attempts should therefore be undertaken at 
      regular intervals.
FAU - Ruths, Sabine
AU  - Ruths S
AD  - Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, 
      Bergen, Norway. sabine.ruths@isf.uib.no
FAU - Straand, Jorund
AU  - Straand J
FAU - Nygaard, Harald A
AU  - Nygaard HA
FAU - Aarsland, Dag
AU  - Aarsland D
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Multicenter Study
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
PL  - England
TA  - Int J Geriatr Psychiatry
JT  - International journal of geriatric psychiatry
JID - 8710629
RN  - 0 (Antipsychotic Agents)
RN  - 12794-10-4 (Benzodiazepines)
RN  - J6292F8L3D (Haloperidol)
RN  - L6UH7ZF8HC (Risperidone)
RN  - N7U69T4SZR (Olanzapine)
SB  - IM
CIN - Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2009 Feb;11(1):4. PMID: 19187700
MH  - Aged
MH  - Aged, 80 and over
MH  - Antipsychotic Agents/*therapeutic use
MH  - Benzodiazepines/*therapeutic use
MH  - Dementia/*drug therapy/psychology
MH  - Double-Blind Method
MH  - Female
MH  - Haloperidol/*therapeutic use
MH  - Humans
MH  - Long-Term Care
MH  - Male
MH  - Neuropsychological Tests
MH  - Norway
MH  - Nursing Homes
MH  - Olanzapine
MH  - Risperidone/*therapeutic use
MH  - *Withholding Treatment
EDAT- 2008/02/29 09:00
MHDA- 2009/03/31 09:00
CRDT- 2008/02/29 09:00
PHST- 2008/02/29 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2009/03/31 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2008/02/29 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1002/gps.1998 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Sep;23(9):889-95. doi: 10.1002/gps.1998.