One of the problems that we face with the challenge of neurological diseases is that patients have to take treatments just for managing their symptoms. This helps them temporarily, but since the available treatments do not treat the underlying cause, the patient sees no benefit in the long term. Unfortunately, prolonged and excessive use of such symptom-treating drugs has its own risks. A new report in the Guardian reveals that many dementia patients in the UK, who were receiving excessive amounts of anti-psychotics with the intention for managing their symptoms, are in fact facing a higher risk of death.
Academic study reveals excessive use of anti-psychotics in dementia patients
The report reviews a study done by Sube Banerjee, a professor of mental health and aging at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London. His study notes that out of about 180,000 patients receiving anti-psychotics to manage dementia, only about 36,000 are receiving any benefit from them. The excessive treatment by itself has led to about 1,800 deaths till today.
Anti-psychotic medicines have been used for a long time to treat the symptoms of dementia – symptoms like agitation, wandering, shouting, repeated questioning and sleep disturbance- but their use is warranted only in small amounts. Even the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides clear guidance on the use of anti-psychotics stating that they should be administered only when it is absolutely necessary. Now that the study revealed the adverse effects on anti-psychotics, stakeholders from various health administration organizations will be taking important steps to curb the excessive dosage through strong oversight and educational efforts.
The dire state of our ability to treat neurological diseases
Although there has been an immediate response to improve the situation, this report brings to light the poor state of our readiness for treating and managing neurological diseases like dementia. The available methods, much like pain-killers, are only helping patients manage their symptoms temporarily and having almost no effect on the true cause of the disease. As much as this report indicates poor insight or judgment on the part of nursing staff, it also brings to light the great need for us to create new methods that diagnose and cure neurological diseases.
