Agitation associated with Alzheimer disease
- First identify pain, delirium + unmet needs
- Non-drug behavioral/environmental measures first
- Severe persistent agitation → drug may be needed
- Brexpiprazole is FDA-approved for this use
- Antipsychotics carry mortality/stroke warnings
- Use lowest effective dose; reassess frequently
- Do not medicate simple wandering alone
Use at a glance
- First identify pain, delirium + unmet needs
Treatment options
- Non-drug behavioral/environmental measures first
Practical pearls
- Brexpiprazole is FDA-approved for this use
Other treatment options
- Severe persistent agitation → drug may be needed
Monitoring / follow-up
- Antipsychotics carry mortality/stroke warnings
- Use lowest effective dose; reassess frequently
- Do not medicate simple wandering alone
Self-check
- What should not be medicated alone in Alzheimer agitation?
Simple wandering. - What comes first when assessing Alzheimer agitation?
Identify pain, delirium + unmet needs.
Drugs used for this (5)
All clinical uses · Open Agitation associated with Alzheimer disease in the interactive console ↗