Trazodone for Alzheimer's disease: a naturalistic follow-up study

This study intended to provide a patient profile for trazodone (a triazolopyridine-derivative of phenylpiperazine) prescription in everyday clinical practice in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to describe clinical evaluation and the impact on caregiver burden at a 6-month follow-up. A naturalistic, prospective and observational study was performed, with a 6-month follow-up in 396 patients with probable AD, according to the NINCDS-ARDRA criteria. At the baseline and at the 6-month visit, patients were administered the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to determine their Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD), and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) to assess the impact on caregiver burden. Trazodone was prescribed for 6.1% of patients. With respect to the baseline visit, the untreated group showed an increased global NPI score (3.1 points; 95% CI=1.9-4.2; p=0.001) and ZBI score (2.2 points; 95% CI=0.9-3.4; p=0.001). At 6 months, the global NPI and ZBI scores remained unchanged for the treated group. The treated group showed a significant reduction in the NPI irritability subscale score (2.1 points; 95% CI=0.4-3.7; p=0.015). In the clinical practice, trazodone treatment was prescribed for patients with irritability, agitation and disinhibition. After 6 months, patients treated with trazodone exhibited no increase in BPSD frequency or severity, nor was an increase noted in the caregiver burden.