A Review of Dextromethorphan-Quinidine for the Treatment of Agitation in Dementia

Objective: To provide an updated summary of the literature on dextromethorphan quinidine for the treatment of agitation in dementia.

Data Sources: PubMed, Medline, APA PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Collaboration were searched from inception to January 7, 2024 using the keywords dementia, dextromethorphan, and quinidine. The search was limited to the English language and human subjects.

Study Selection: Twenty-four articles underwent full-text review. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) and 2 case reports were included. Twenty one studies were excluded because they were editorials or commentaries, were not treatment studies, or were assessing outcomes other than agitation.

Data Extraction: The 3 included studies underwent full-text review. A qualitative analysis of the data was performed, and abstracted data included patient diagnosis and symptoms, treatment dose and duration of dextromethorphan-quinidine, and symptom response.

Data Synthesis: One RCT and 2 case reports showed an improvement in dementia-related agitation with dextromethorphan-quinidine treatment; however, the data are limited.

Conclusion: Though all the identified studies demonstrated that treatment with dextromethorphan improved agitation, more evidence is needed to establish its potential efficacy and associated risks for this patient population. Future studies should include diverse types of dementia, a variety of treatment settings, and longer duration of treatment.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2024;26(6):24nr03737.

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