A new study from the Institute of Psychiatry, funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust (ART), is set to investigate whether the use of memantine could be a safer replacement to commonly-prescribed antipsychotic drugs for relieving symptoms of agitation in Alzheimer’s.

A previous study, also funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, concluded that antipsychotic medication nearly doubles death risk over three years*.

The new pilot study will track the activity levels of 100 people with Alzheimer’s using wrist-worn monitors. The resulting data will allow the team to assess levels of sleep disturbance, which they in turn expect to have direct links to increased agitation.

The researchers also believe they can effectively treat sleep disturbance and restore more natural rest-activity balance with memantine, which could reduce the related agitation. This will be the first time that memantine has been studied with a view to restoring an appropriate balance between rest and activity.

Team leader, Dr Daisy Whitehead of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, said:
“We believe that memantine can help people with severe Alzheimer’s to restore their normal rest and activity balance, and alleviate agitation, which would help avoid serious concerns over the use of antipsychotic drugs.

“If this research produces positive results, there is real hope that we can provide a safer alternative to treating agitation, which can be extremely distressing for the person with the disease and their carer.”
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said:

“This is vitally important research, which could give us an effective, safe alternative to the use of “chemical cosh” antipsychotic drug treatments. If we can put an end to unnecessary and prolonged prescribing of antipsychotic drugs, we can help improve the quality of life for many people with Alzheimer’s.

“We urgently need to do more research if we are to tackle dementia, a condition that currently affects 700,000 in the UK.”

Dementia facts

- 700,000 people in the UK have dementia: a number forecast to double within a generation.
- Dementia costs the UK economy £17 billion per year.
- 25 million people in the UK know a close friend or family member with dementia, according to an Alzheimer’s Research Trust poll.
- Dementia occurs as a result of nerve cells dying in the brain.
- There is not yet a cure or effective treatment.
- For more information go to www.alzheimers-research.org.uk