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. 2012 Jun;27(4):260-6.
doi: 10.1177/1533317512447887. Epub 2012 May 17.

Use of antidementia drugs in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Secundino López-Pousa  1 , Laia Calvó-Perxas, Saioa Lejarreta, Marta Cullell, Rosa Meléndez, Erélido Hernández, Josep Bisbe, Héctor Perkal, Anna Manzano, Anna Maria Roig, Oriol Turró-Garriga, Joan Vilalta-Franch, Josep Garre-Olmo; Registry of Dementias of Girona Study Group (ReDeGi Study Group)
Collaborators, Affiliations

Use of antidementia drugs in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Secundino López-Pousa et al. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2012 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical evidence indicates that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are not efficacious to treat frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The British Association for Psychopharmacology recommends avoiding the use of AChEI and memantine in patients with FTLD.

Methods: Cross-sectional design using 1092 cases with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 64 cases with FTLD registered by the Registry of Dementias of Girona. Bivariate analyses were performed, and binary logistic regressions were used to detect variables associated with antidementia drugs consumption.

Results: The AChEIs were consumed by 57.6% and 42.2% of the patients with AD and FTLD, respectively. Memantine was used by 17.2% and 10.9% of patients with AD and FTLD, respectively. Binary logistic regressions yielded no associations with antidementia drugs consumption.

Conclusions: There is a discrepancy regarding clinical practice and the recommendations based upon clinical evidence. The increased central nervous system drug use detected in FTLD requires multicentric studies aiming at finding the best means to treat these patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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