Bala, S. S., Jamieson, H. A., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Determinants of prescribing potentially inappropriate medications in a nationwide cohort of community dwellers with dementia receiving a comprehensive geriatric assessment. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(1), 153-161.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This study identified the prevalence and predictors of prescribing potentially inappropriate medications in a New-Zealand-wide cohort of community dwellers with dementia requiring complex care needs using data from the InterRAI assessment.  Potentially inappropriate medications were prescribed frequently in older adults with dementia.
Keywords:
medications, InterRAI, prescribing, potentially inappropriate medications
Link
Chan Amy, Hikaka Jo anna, To E, et al. (2023). Anti-dementia medication use in Aotearoa New Zealand: An exploratory study using health data from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,;57(6):895-903.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This was a retrospective population based description study about funded anti-dementia medication use in Aotearoa New Zealand and how this differs by ethnicity, age, and sex.
Keywords:
medications, prescribing
Link
Cheung, G., & Stapelberg, J. (2011). Quetiapine for the treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD): a meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 124(1336), 39-50.
Type:
Review article, meta-analysis
Description:
A meta-analysis across studies found that quetiapine was statistically more effective than placebo for the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, but the improvements were small and their clinical significance was questionable.
Keywords:
psychosis, Quetiapine, antipsychotice
Link
Greve, M., & O'Connor, D. (2005). A survey of Australian and New Zealand old age psychiatrists' preferred medications to treat behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). International Psychogeriatrics / IPA, 17(2), 195-205.
 
Type:
Research article
Description:
A brief survey was posted to a random sample of members of the Australian and New Zealand Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age. Atypical neuroleptics were preferred by most respondents for treatment of most 'behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia'. These views, while based on considerable clinical experience, have only limited backing from published reports.
Keywords:
antipsychotic, prescribing, psychiatrists
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Maclean, L. E., Collins. C., & Byrne E. J. (2001). Dementia with Lewy bodies treated with rivastigmine: effects on cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep. International Psychogeriatrics, 13(3), 277-288.
 
Type:
Case report
Description:
This study describe eight patients fulfilling the consensus diagnostic criteria for probable Dementia with Lewy bodies who were treated with rivastigmine. Seven patients showed improvement in cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Keywords:
cholinesterase inhibitors, rivastigmine
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Ma'u E, Burton J, Fussell E. Antipsychotic and sedative medication use in long-term care facilities providing dementia care. New Zealand Medical Journal. 2021 Jun 25;134(1537):56-65. PMID: 34239162.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This study led by Etuini M'au reports a concerning rate of antipsychotic and sedative medication use in long-term care facilities providing dementia care in the Waikato.
Keywords:
medication, aged residential care
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Ndukwe, H. C., & Nishtala, P. S. (2015). Donepezil adherence, persistence and time to first discontinuation in a three-year follow-up of older people. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, 5(3), 482-491.
Type:
Research article
Description:
The aim was to examine and measure donepezil adherence, persistence and time to first discontinuation in older New Zealanders. The non-adherent new donepezil users, on average, discontinued faster than the adherent group. Time to first discontinuation in this study was higher compared to discontinuation rates observed in clinical trials.
Keywords:
Donepezil, geriatric epidemiology, population-based study, adherence, discontinuation, persistence
Link
Peri, K., Kerse, N., Moyes, S., Scahill, S., Chen, C., Hong, J. B., & Hughes, C. M. (2015). Is psychotropic medication use related to organisational and treatment culture in residential care. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 29(7), 1065-1079.
Type:
Research article
Description:
The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between organisational culture measured by a survey and psychotropic medication use in residential care in Auckland. Hierarchical organisational culture type was independently associated with psychotropic medication use.
Keywords:
Organisational culture, added residential care, psychotropic medication
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Saxton, J., Hofbauer, R. K., Woodward, M., Gilchrist, N. L., Potocnik, F., Hsu, H-A., et al. (2012). Memantine and functional communication in Alzheimer's disease: Results of a 12-week, international, randomized clinical trial. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 28(1), 109-118.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This 12-week, international (including 3 patients from New Zealand), RCT of memantine found that for people with moderate Alzheiemers disease, memantine treatment improved functional communication, as recognized by caregivers. 
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults (ASHA FACS), communication, drug therapy, Functional Linguistic Communication Inventory (FLCI), language, memantine
Link
Tordoff, J. M., Ailabouni, N. J., Browne, D. P., Al-Sallami, H. S., & Gray, A. R. (2016). Improvements in the prescribing of antipsychotics in dementia and psychogeriatric units in New Zealand. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 38(4), 941-949.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This audit showed that following a range of interventions, antipsychotic prescribing, administration and some related documentation improved in dementia and psychogeriatric units in New Zealand.
Keywords:
antipsychotics, aged residential care, nursing homes
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