Agitation is common in demented patients, and often takes the form of wandering, crying out, and aggression. It is presumed to reflect subjective distress and is associated both with risks to the patient and an increase in caregiver burden. In the present study haloperidol treatment was associated with a lower degree of aggression than was placebo. Adverse effects occurred more frequently in haloperidol treated patients than controls, but similar drop-out rates among treated and control patients suggested that for some patients adverse effects may have been tolerated because of better control of behaviour. Our findings indicated that there is little evidence to support a benefit of haloperidol on manifestations of agitation other than aggression, and that haloperidol should not be used routinely to treat patients with agitated dementia. Treatment of agitated dementia should be individualized, with careful monitoring of benefits and adverse effects.
No evidence has been found of any significant general improvement in manifestations of agitation, other than aggression, among demented patients treated with haloperidol, compared with controls
Published Online:
December 8, 2010
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