[Psychopharmacotherapy of out-patient with dementia]

A treatment of 285 out-patients with different types of dementia and concomitant behavioral and psychiatric disorders has been conducted in gerontopsychiatric unit of Moscow mental out-patient clinic No. 10. The sample analyzed consisted of 88 (31%) men and 197 (69%) women, aged from 60 to 98 (mean 74.5 +/- 6.4) years. Each patient had an epidemiological record registering demographical and clinical details as well as information on the drugs and doses prescribed, etc. Tranquillizers and hypnotics used separately or in combination with other drugs were prescribed to 60% of the patients, neuroleptics--to 37%, vasotropics and nootropics--to 35%, antidepressants--to 16%, antiparkinsonic drugs--to 8%, anticolvunsants--3%. Most frequently different drugs have been used in combination (58% of the cases) and in 33% cases--as monotherapy. Only in 9% of the patients psychotropics have not been prescribed. The choice of psychotropics was dependent on the patient age and disease severity. At older age and severe dementia neuroleptics were prescribed to the patients more frequently.