Other medication classes studied in patients with FTD include antipsychotics, stimulants, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, and hormonal therapies. In addition to a black box warning for increased mortality in older patients with dementia-related psychosis, antipsychotics are associated with other serious adverse effects and should be used with caution.7
FTD is a debilitating disease that has a major impact on quality of life, particularly when behavioral symptoms accompany cognitive decline. Though some therapies may possibly improve behavioral symptoms, their routine use remains controversial due to a lack of clear evidence of benefit. In caring for patients with FTD and behavioral symptoms, a multimodal, team-based approach is vital.1
CASE CONTINUED
The treatment team starts Mr. S on several of the modalities discussed in this article over the span of 2 years, with limited efficacy. Nonpharmacologic methods do not provide much benefit because Mr. S is extremely difficult to redirect. Given Mr. S’s past trials of SSRIs prior to admission, sertraline was retrialed and titrated over 2 years. The highest dose utilized during his admission was 200 mg/d. The team starts estrogen therapy but tapers and discontinues it due to ineffectiveness. Mr. S’s use of carbidopa/levodopa is thought to be contributing to his behavioral abnormalities, so the team tapers it to discontinuation; however, Mr. S’s sexually inappropriate behaviors and agitation continue. The team initiates a plan to reduce the dose of quetiapine and switch to gabapentin, but Mr. S fails gradual dose reduction due to his worsening behaviors. He starts gabapentin. The team gradually increases the dose of gabapentin to decrease libido and agitation, respectively. The increase in sertraline dose and use of nonpharmacologic modalities causes Mr. S’s use of as-needed antipsychotics to decrease.
Related Resources
- Ellison JM. What are the stages of frontotemporal dementia? BrightFocus Foundation. July 5, 2021. Accessed July 7, 2023. https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/what-are-stages-frontotemporal-dementia
- Dementia and sexually inappropriate behavior. ReaDementia. January 31, 2022. Accessed July 7, 2023. https://readementia.com/dementia-and-sexually-inappropriate-behavior/
Drug Brand Names
Carbidopa/levodopa • Sinemet
Citalopram • Celexa
Donepezil • Aricept
Fluvoxamine • Luvox
Gabapentin • Neurontin
Galantamine • Razadyne
Memantine • Namenda
Paroxetine • Paxil
Quetiapine • Seroquel
Rivastigmine • Exelon
Sertraline • Zoloft
Trazodone • Desyrel