ArticleTherapeutic advances in chronic disease2016
Antipsychotic use in dementia: a systematic review of benefits and risks from meta-analyses.
Article in Therapeutic advances in chronic disease, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 119 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
119 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Multiple Adverse Outcomes Associated with Risperidone in People with Dementia: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.CNS drugs · 2026Pooled it
- Predictors and Moderators of Hospitalisation and Mortality in People with Dementia Using Antipsychotics: Systematic Review.Drugs & aging · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of second-generation antipsychotics for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ mental health · 2024Pooled it
- The value of supportive care: A systematic review of cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy and safety of antidepressant therapy for the agitation of dementia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- Comparative Outcomes of Commonly Used Off-Label Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Dementia-Related Psychosis: A Network Meta-analysis.Advances in therapy · 2022Pooled it
- Antipsychotics for agitation and psychosis in people with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- What Makes Deprescription of Psychotropic Drugs in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia so Challenging? A Qualitative Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators.Drugs & aging · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Nutritional supplements for neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2020Pooled it
- Assessment of Reported Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Network Meta-analysis.JAMA network open · 2019Pooled it
- Apathy in Dementia: Systematic Review of Recent Evidence on Pharmacological Treatments.Current psychiatry reports · 2016Pooled it
- Physician Antipsychotic Overprescribing Letters and Cognitive, Behavioral, and Physical Health Outcomes Among People With Dementia: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- The effect of educational intervention on use of psychotropics in defined daily doses and related costs - a randomized controlled trial.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2022Trial
- Pimavanserin in Alzheimer's Disease Psychosis: Efficacy in Patients with More Pronounced Psychotic Symptoms.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2019Trial
- Educating Nursing Home Staff in Dementia Sensitive Communication: Impact on Antipsychotic Medication Use.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2018Trial
- Observational
- Measures used to evaluate psychosocial interventions in dementia care: A narrative review and synthesis.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2026Review
- Implementing antipsychotic reduction in long-term care: interdisciplinary and lived-experience insights into system-level barriers and facilitators.The Gerontologist · 2026Article
- Dementia care in the United Arab Emirates: an environmental scan of services, policy, workforce, and caregiving contexts.BMC health services research · 2026Article
59 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe purpose of this review is to evaluate the data on the use of antipsychotics in individuals with dementia from meta-analyses.
methodsWe performed a literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane collaboration databases through 30 November, 2015 using the following keywords: 'antipsychotics', 'dementia' and 'meta-analysis'. The search was not restricted by the age of the patients or the language of the study. However, in the final analysis we only included studies involving patients that were published in English language journals or had official English translations. In addition, we reviewed the bibliographic databases of published articles for additional studies.
resultsThis systematic review of the literature identified a total of 16 meta-analyses that evaluated the use of antipsychotics in individuals with dementia. Overall, 12 meta-analyses evaluated the efficacy of antipsychotics among individuals with dementia. Of these, eight also assessed adverse effects. A further two studies evaluated the adverse effects of antipsychotics (i.e. death). A total of two meta-analyses evaluated the discontinuation of antipsychotics in individuals with dementia. Overall, three meta-analyses were conducted in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) whereas one focused on individuals with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). The rest of the 12 meta-analyses included individuals with dementia.
conclusionsAntipsychotics have demonstrated modest efficacy in treating psychosis, aggression and agitation in individuals with dementia. Their use in individuals with dementia is often limited by their adverse effect profile. The use of antipsychotics should be reserved for severe symptoms that have failed to respond adequately to nonpharmacological management strategies.
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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.