Psychotropic drugs in patients with Alzheimer's Disease: a longitudinal study by the Registry of Dementias of Girona (ReDeGi) in Catalonia, Spain.

Objectives: Psychotropic drugs are usually prescribed to deal with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, especially when nonpharmacologic approaches are not available or have limited efficacy. Poor outcomes and serious adverse events of the drugs used must be addressed, and risk-benefit ratios need to be considered. The aim of this longitudinal study was to describe the evolution of dispensation of psychotropic drugs in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to identify the associated demographic and clinical variables.

[Cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. A follow three or more years of a sample of patients].

Introduction: The rates of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease show variations due to various factors. AIM. To determine the influence of age, education, gender, activities of daily living (ADL) and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (IAChE) and memantine in the rhythm and rate of cognitive decline.

[Annual economic cost of informal care in Alzheimer's disease].

Introduction: The indirect cost associated with the care of patients with Alzheimer's disease is taken on primarily by the family.

Aim: To describe the cost associated with time dedication, its annual evolution, associated characteristics and related caregiver burden.

Subjects And Methods: Non-institutionalized patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who are managed on an out-patient basis in a diagnosis unit and their primary caregivers.

Syndromic association of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer disease and patient classification.

Objectives: To identify patient groups with Alzheimer disease (AD) according to the presence of psychological and behavioral syndromes and to determine the clinical differences among these groups.

Methods: Cross-sectional and observational study of 491 patients with probable AD whom were administered the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) at the baseline visit and reevaluated after 12 months.

Results: Principal component analysis (PCA) of baseline NPI data revealed three factors, including a psychosis factor (delusions, hallucinations, and aberrant motor behavior), a depressive factor (depression, anxiety, irritability, agitation, and apathy) and a hypomanic factor (euphoria and disinhibition).

[Cognitive profile in fibromyalgia. Comparison with a mild cognitive impairment group].

Objective: The neuropsychological assessment of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and with subjective cognitive complaints was analyzed. The group was compared with a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) group without FM.

Material And Method: Retrospective study of 32 patients with FM were evaluated and 86 patients with MCI without FM.

Trazodone for Alzheimer's disease: a naturalistic follow-up study.

This study intended to provide a patient profile for trazodone (a triazolopyridine-derivative of phenylpiperazine) prescription in everyday clinical practice in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to describe clinical evaluation and the impact on caregiver burden at a 6-month follow-up. A naturalistic, prospective and observational study was performed, with a 6-month follow-up in 396 patients with probable AD, according to the NINCDS-ARDRA criteria. At the baseline and at the 6-month visit, patients were administered the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to determine their Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD), and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) to assess the impact on caregiver burden.

[Mortality-associated factors in patients with Alzheimer's disease treated with galantamine].

Background And Objective: To study the effect of clinical and demographic variables on mortality in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease treated with the cholinesterase inhibitor galantamine.

Patients And Method: This retrospective cohort study reviewed 172 medical records, gathering information such as demographic and clinical variables, adverse events, number of withdrawals and duration of treatment with galantamine.

Results: Of 172 patients, 18.

Comparative analysis of mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease treated with donepezil or galantamine.

Background: few studies have analysed the effect of the long-term use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) on mortality.

Objective: to compare the long-term effects of galantamine and donepezil treatment on the mortality rate in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Design: a retrospective cohort study.

[Cost relation between severity of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive and functional impairment].

Background And Objective: This study aims to identify the relationship between costs of medical and social attention in patients with dementia of Alzheimer disease (AD) type and clinical and sociodemographic data of patients and their caregivers.

Patients And Method: It was an analytic observational study in a cohort of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who received ambulatory attention. Information about the use of health-related resources was collected and costs were estimated from a societal perspective.