AN ATYPICAL NEUROLEPTIC DRUG IN THE TREATMENT OF BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES AND PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS IN ELDERLY PEOPLE

The present study is a retrospective study of remoxipride therapy. A t otal of 103 patients, 65 years or older, with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of dementia or delirium, were included. They had all been treated with r emoxipride because of psychotic symptoms or behavioural disturbances. The dose range of remoxipride was 50-300 mg, the median dose being 75 mg. The clinical effect was rated as good in two thirds of the patient s, and side-effects were noted in one fourth. When psychomotor hyperac tivity was the dominating problem, a good effect was rated in 81% of t he patients. Side-effects were few and mild, the most common being tir edness; only 5 patients showed extrapyramidal symptoms.