DRUG-USE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN RESIDENTS OF HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY

In order to investigate the relationship between cognitive function an d daily used drugs in the elderly we performed an observational, cross -sectional study in 5 homes for the elderly in the region of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Participants were 497 residents of these homes. For all these subjects the daily used drugs, classified according to the A natomical Therapeutic Classification system, were registered and globa l cognitive function was measured as the total score on the Mini Menta l State Examination. Adjusting for age and education, there was a smal l but significant and positive correlation between the use of metoprol ol and the total MMSE score. The use of CNS drugs was not related to t he total MMSE score. All eleven most frequently used drugs together ex plained 2.9% of the variance in the MMSE scores. These results indicat e that there is a negligible association between daily drug use and co gnitive function in these subjects.