SynthesisJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2011
Dementia medications and risk of falls, syncope, and related adverse events: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 133 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Effects and Mechanisms of Xanthones in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review.Neurochemical research · 2023Pooled it
- Withdrawal or continuation of cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine or both, in people with dementia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Practice Guidelines and Recommendations for Discontinuation of Cholinesterase Inhibitors in Dementia.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2018Pooled it
- A Risk-Benefit Assessment of Dementia Medications: Systematic Review of the Evidence.Drugs & aging · 2015Pooled it
- Effectiveness of exercise programs to reduce falls in older people with dementia living in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical interventions in aging · 2015Pooled it
- Trial
- Long-term effect of discontinuing anticholinesterase treatment on cognitive decline and mortality in Alzheimer's disease in France: a quasi-experiment and target trial emulation study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Review
- Personalised Prevention of Falls in Persons with Dementia-A Registry-Based Study.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Awareness of national dementia guidelines and management of oldest-old and frail people living with dementia: a European survey of geriatricians.European geriatric medicine · 2025Article
- Acupuncture on Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Review
- Discontinuation of Cholinesterase Inhibitors Following Initiation of Memantine and Admission to Long-Term Care Among Older Adults.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- Cholinesterase Inhibitor Initiation Does Not Increase the Risk of Fall-Related Injury in Older Adults Treated With Beta-Blockers: A Self-Controlled Case Series Design.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024Article
- Relationship between donepezil and fracture risk in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2024Article
- Incidence and Factors Associated with Falls in Older People in a Long-Term Care Facility: A Prospective Study in Taiwan.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Therapeutic dilemmas: cognitive enhancers and risk of falling in older adults-a clinical review.European geriatric medicine · 2023Review
- Association between the type of hypnotic drug and in-hospital fractures in older patients with neurocognitive disorders: A case-control study using a nationwide database.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2023Article
- Relationship between antidementia medication and fracture prevention in patients with Alzheimer's dementia using a nationwide health insurance claims database.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Review
- Cannabinoids for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate the effect of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and memantine on the risk of falls, syncope, and related events, defined as fracture and accidental injury.
designMeta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that were identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (no language restriction, through July 2009), and manual search.
settingCommunity and nursing homes.
participantsParticipants in fifty-four placebo-controlled randomized trials and extension studies of ChEIs and memantine that reported falls, syncope, and related events in cognitively impaired older adults. MEASUREMENTS: Falls, syncope, fracture, and accidental injury.
resultsChEI use was associated with greater risk of syncope (odds ratio (OR)=1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02-2.30) than placebo but not with other events (falls: OR=0.88, 95% CI=0.74-1.04; fracture: OR=1.39, 95% CI=0.75-2.56; accidental injury: OR=1.13, 95% CI=0.87-1.45). Memantine use was associated with fewer fractures (OR=0.21, 95% CI=0.05-0.85) but not with other events (falls: OR=0.92, 95% CI=0.72-1.18; syncope: OR=1.04, 95% CI=0.35-3.04; accidental injury: OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.56-1.12). There was no differential effect according to type and severity of cognitive impairment, residential status, or length of follow-up, although because of underreporting and small number of events, a potential benefit or risk cannot be excluded.
conclusionChEIs may increase the risk of syncope, with no effects on falls, fracture, or accidental injury in cognitively impaired older adults. Memantine may have a favorable effect on fracture, with no effects on other events. More research is needed to confirm the reduction in fractures observed for memantine.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.