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Anticholinergic drugs and measures of cognitive impairment
Author(s) -
Lam Y. W. Francis
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the brown university psychopharmacology update
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7532
pISSN - 1068-5308
DOI - 10.1002/pu.30495
Subject(s) - anticholinergic , medicine , tricyclic , cognition , drug , cognitive impairment , adverse effect , cholinergic , cognitive decline , population , pharmacology , psychiatry , dementia , disease , environmental health
With an increasing number of people living well beyond eight decades of life, impairment of cognitive function has become a major concern in the elderly. A cholinergic deficit accompanying the normal aging process is thought to contribute to cognitive decline. However, the cause of cognitive impairment in this population is likely to be multifactorial, with drug‐induced adverse events a potential factor. Drugs such as benzodiazepines, opioids, anticholinergics, and drugs with anticholinergic properties (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants, antispasmodics, antipsychotics, and antiparkinsonian agents) all have been implicated in the development of cognitive impairment in the elderly.