Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effect of long-term administration of quetiapine on the cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer′s disease (AD). MethodsFifty-one AD outpatients with psychological and behavioral symptoms were randomly divided into treatment group (taking quetiapine, n=26) and control group (n=25). Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) and Alzheimer′s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) were used to assess the cognitive function of two groups before treatment (baseline), and three months, six months after treatment. Results The baseline scores of CASI and ADAS-cog of two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Three months after treatment, the scores of CASI and ADAS-cog increased but were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Six months after treatment, the scores of CASI and ADAS-cog further increased. The scores of treatment group were obviously higher than those of the control group and statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Long-term administration of quetiapine may cause an adverse impact on the cognitive function of AD patients.

Key words: Alzheimer′s disease, quetiapine, cognitive function