An Exploratory, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial of Dipraglurant for Blepharospasm.

Background: Blepharospasm is treated with botulinum toxin, but obtaining satisfactory results is sometimes challenging.

Objective: The aim is to conduct an exploratory trial of oral dipraglurant for blepharospasm.

Methods: This study was an exploratory, phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 15 participants who were assigned to receive a placebo or dipraglurant (50 or 100 mg) and assessed over 2 days, 1 and 2 hours following dosing.

Psychosis in Alzheimer's Disease.

Purpose Of Review: To review the incidence, treatment and genetics of psychosis in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Recent Findings: Psychosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has an incidence of ~ 10% per year. There is limited evidence regarding psychological interventions.

Impact of Current Antipsychotic Medications on Comparative Mortality and Adverse Events in People With Parkinson Disease Psychosis.

Objectives: To establish the mortality risk and adverse events associated with the use of atypical antipsychotic medications in people with Parkinson disease psychosis (PDP) in a clinically defined trial cohort.

Design: Post hoc analysis of data from a multicenter, open-label extension study of pimavanserin comparing people taking and not taking current antipsychotics.

Setting: Primary and secondary care medical centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and India.

On the discovery and development of pimavanserin: a novel drug candidate for Parkinson's psychosis.

Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) is a condition that may develop in up to 60 % of Parkinson's patients, and is a major reason for nursing home placement for those affected. There are no FDA approved drugs for PDP but low doses of atypical anti-psychotic drugs (APDs) are commonly prescribed off-label. Only low-dose clozapine has shown efficacy in randomized controlled trials, but all APDs have black box warnings related to the increased mortality and morbidity when used in elderly demented patients.

Pimavanserin for patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis: a randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.

Background: Parkinson's disease psychosis, which includes hallucinations and delusions, is frequent and debilitating in people with Parkinson's disease. We aimed to assess safety and efficacy of pimavanserin, a selective serotonin 5-HT2A inverse agonist, in this population.

Methods: In our 6 week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we enrolled adults (aged ≥40 years) with Parkinson's disease psychosis.

Performance of a shortened Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms for Parkinson's disease psychosis.

Background: Parkinson's disease psychosis is a frequent and serious complication of advanced disease, but few disease-specific outcome measures exist.

Methods: Using baseline scores from 4 clinical trials, we identified relevant items that assessed Parkinson's disease psychosis to create a shortened version of the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms. We then analyzed the validity and treatment sensitivity of the shortened scale.

Pimavanserin, a serotonin(2A) receptor inverse agonist, for the treatment of parkinson's disease psychosis.

Psychotic symptoms occur in up to 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Clozapine and quetiapine, two atypical antipsychotic drugs, at doses markedly lower than those effective in schizophrenia, which, nevertheless, still cause sedation, hypotension, and other side effects, are widely used to treat psychotic symptoms in patients with PD psychosis (PDP), although quetiapine has never been shown to be effective in a placebo-controlled study. The demonstrated efficacy of clozapine in PDP has been attributed to serotonin (5-HT(2A)) receptor blockade.