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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The impact of antipsychotics and neuropsychiatric symptoms on the quality of life of people with dementia living in nursing homes | | Author(s) | Julia van de Ven-Vakhteeva, Hans Bor, Roland B Wetzels |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 28, no 5, May 2013 |
| Publisher | Wiley Blackwell, May 2013 |
| Pages | pp 530-538 |
| Source | www.orangejournal.org |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Patients [nursing homes] ; Mental disorder ; Symptoms ; Drugs ; Quality of life. |
| Annotation | This study aimed to establish whether antipsychotic (AP) drug use in patients with dementia negatively affects quality of life (QoL) independent of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). The study tested 290 patients with dementia living in nine nursing homes throughout the Netherlands in a longitudinal study. The measurements were repeated every six months over two years. The authors studied the change in NPS and AP use and their effect on QoL over time in two separate generalised estimating equations. QoL and NPS were assessed using the Qualidem questionnaire and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH), respectively. Results showed that antipsychotic prescriptions did not significantly change participant QoL, whereas NPI-NH total score changes consistently predicted changes in QoL. According to the Qualidem, the development of QoL in patients who chronically used APs did not differ from AP-free patients, except on the restless tense behaviour subscale. AP-free patients' `restless, tense behaviour' improved compared with patients who chronically used APs who showed a slight deterioration in these symptoms, however, this effect did not significantly influence total QoL. Overall, antipsychotic drug use does not necessarily have detrimental effects on the QoL of patients with dementia, but rather NPS consistently and negatively affects QoL. The use of APs to treat NPS is justified when used carefully , i..e. their benefits and side effects should be monitored. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-130419209 A |
| Classmark | EA: LHB:LF: E: CT: LLD: F:59 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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