Evolution of the Antidepressant Prescribing in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Between 2010 and 2014: Results from the French National Database on Alzheimer's Disease (BNA).

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Safety warnings from health authorities are currently intended to limit the use of psychotropic agents in dementia-related conditions. Evidence concerning the use of antidepressants in dementia is, however, scarce and contradictory.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate antidepressant use among individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders in the French population between 2010 and 2014.

METHOD:

Antidepressant prescriptions in individuals with AD, mixed dementia (MD), and vascular dementia (VaD) in the French National Alzheimer Database between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed (N = 199,544).

RESULTS:

Multivariate analysis showed an annual significant increase (p < 0.001) in the prescription rate of antidepressants from 26% (2010) to 31% (2014), and identified female gender, younger age, higher education, living in long-term facilities, more severe cognitive decline, and presence of vascular signs (VaD and MD) as associated factors for antidepressant prescribing.

CONCLUSION:

The annual increase of antidepressant prescribing among individuals with AD, MD, and VaD in French specialized settings may be partially related to the lack of current valuable medications for dementia-related behavioral symptoms.

• Authors: Renaud David, Valeria Manera, Roxane Fabre, Christian Pradier, Philippe Robert, Karim Tifratene
• Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD (J Alzheimers Dis) Vol. 53 Issue 4 Pg. 1365-73 (07 02 2016) ISSN: 1875-8908 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 27392860 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antidepressive Agents

Topics

• Age Factors
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antidepressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Cerebrovascular Disorders (drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Dementia (drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Educational Status
• Female
• France
• Humans
• Male
• Multivariate Analysis
• Practice Patterns, Physicians' (trends)
• Prevalence
• Residential Facilities
• Severity of Illness Index
• Sex Factors