Lower Barthel Index scores predict less prescription of pharmacological therapy in elderly patients with Alzheimer disease.

Aims: To determine the factors associated with receiving specific treatment (cholinesterase inhibitors or/and memantine) for Alzheimer disease (AD) in elderly patients.

Methods: An observational study carried out in 289 consecutive outpatients aged >64 years with dementia. We collected data on specific AD therapy, sociodemographic variables, Barthel Index (BI), Lawton and Brody Index (LI), Mini Mental State Examination, Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), Charlson Index and the total number of drugs chronically prescribed.

[High prevalence of neuroleptic drug use in elderly people with dementia].

Background And Objectives: The management of psychological and behavioural symptoms associated with dementia frequently requires the use of neuroleptic drugs. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, characteristics and possible differential factors of people aged > or = 65 years with dementia who take or not neuroleptic drugs. The subgroup with Alzheimer disease was analysed.