Dementia - Articles - Page 4 | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Rest Easy: Benzos, Z-Drugs, and Dementia

December 31, 2020

James Jenkins, MD. Dr. Jenkins has disclosed that he has stock in Alkermes, Sage Therapeutics, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Trevena, and Viatris. Dr. Aiken has reviewed this article and has found no evidence of bias pertaining to this educational activity.

It may not be perfect, but this study has the best data yet on the controversial link between benzodiazepines and dementia.

Agitation in Dementia (Part 2)

February 20, 2020

Families bring difficult questions when their loved one has dementia, and in this interview with Cathy Howard, RN, we’ll show you how to answer some of them. We also delve into the nonpharmacologic approaches to agitation in dementia to learn what they look like in real life.Published On: 2/20/20Duration: 8 minutes, 9...

Agitation in Dementia (Part 1)

February 17, 2020

Nuedexta. A 60 year old cough medicine gets approve for uncontrollable crying, but the drug company has its eyes on a bigger target: Agitation in dementia. Follow the trail of pseudoscience, bribery, and indictments, and learn a few clinical pearls about this dextromethorphan-quinidine combination along the way.Published On: 2/17/20Duration: 15 minutes, 51...

Nuedexta in Agitated Dementia

February 10, 2020

Nuedexta is indicated for pseudobulbar affect, but when the manufacturer attempted to expand its use into agitation in dementia they ran into some heavy legal penalties. Here we take a closer look at the published and unpublished trials to see what ─ if anything ─ is salvageable. We’ll also show you how to prescribe this high-cost drug as a generic equivalent.

In Brief: Antipsychotic Update

November 15, 2019

Outdoor activity, massage, and touch therapy ranked most effective for agitation in dementia. Risperidone doesn’t appear to cause fractures.

Do Antipsychotics Improve Cognition?

May 27, 2019

Unlike the typical antipsychotics, atypicals improve both cognitive and psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, so they must have procognitive effects of their own that can be harnessed in mood disorders, ADHD, and even dementia. The problem is that the data show the opposite.Publication Date: 5/27/19Runtime: 8 mins, 35 secondsArticle Referenced: "Ask...

Evaluating Memory Loss in Patients

May 1, 2019

The old rule of thumb used to be that “you don’t need to worry about the person who’s worried about their memory; you need to worry about people who aren’t worried.” Although that might still be true for people already with dementia, it’s important that you pick up on memory...

The Aging Brain: Preventing Cognitive Decline

April 10, 2019

We’ve all been there. A 63-year-old patient comes to you with a chief complaint of memory loss. She tells you that she has a hard time remembering people’s names and forgets where she puts her keys. She lives and drives on her own without a problem, but asks, “Isn’t there some memory pill I can take?” What advice can we give her?

Screening Tests for Cognitive Decline

April 10, 2019

Screening tests can also help distinguish normal aging from a Neurocognitive Disorder. The popular Mini Mental Status Exam is being replaced by more sensitive tests like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS). Both of these can be completed in 10 minutes and are normed for Mild and Major Neurocognitive Disorders. An abbreviated form of the SLUMS, the Rapid Cognitive Screen, can be administered in 5 minutes.

Moderate Alcohol Use Associated With Reduced Risk of Dementia

April 10, 2019

Michael Posternak, MD

Michael Posternak, MD. Dr. Posternak has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Excessive alcohol use is neurotoxic, but some studies have found that moderate alcohol intake might actually reduce the risk of dementia. Most of these studies, however, have focused on geriatric patients.