tolterodine-tartrate and Memory-Disorders

Authors evaluated the cognitive, neurophysiologic, and behavioral effects of incontinence medications in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).. Nine patients were evaluated, both on and off incontinence medication, for cognitive status, neuropsychiatric status, activities of daily living, and serum anticholinergic level. Caregivers were interviewed to evaluate behavioral status and caregiver burden.. Patients showed better performance on specific measures of cognition and behavior when not taking medication for incontinence. A significant, inverse correlation was found between mental status and anticholinergic level.. Although the sample size was small, the findings suggest that, in patients with AD, incontinence medications with anticholinergic properties may have detrimental effects on mental status and behavior.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Alzheimer Disease; Benzhydryl Compounds; Caregivers; Cholinergic Antagonists; Cognition Disorders; Cresols; Cross-Over Studies; Humans; Memory Disorders; Mental Disorders; Muscarinic Antagonists; Neuropsychological Tests; Phenylpropanolamine; Psychometrics; Single-Blind Method; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tolterodine Tartrate; Urinary Incontinence; Wakefulness

Anticholinergic drugs are known to produce or enhance cognitive deficits. Tolterodine tartrate is marketed as a bladder-selective anticholinergic drug that is reported to be free of significant cognitive adverse effects.. To describe a 46-year-old woman who had memory loss and abnormal memory test results that improved when she discontinued tolterodine therapy.. While taking tolterodine, the patient's score on the delayed free recall portion of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised was at the first percentile. One month after discontinuing tolterodine therapy, this test was administered a second time using an alternative form and she showed marked improvement scoring above the 75th percentile.. Tolterodine therapy caused cognitive dysfunction in our patient. It is possible that cognitive dysfunction is a common result of tolterodine treatment, but in the absence of testing, remains undiagnosed. Alternatively, our patient may have had aberrant metabolism of this drug or an increased sensitivity as a result of incipient Alzheimer disease.

Topics: Benzhydryl Compounds; Cognition Disorders; Cresols; Female; Humans; Memory Disorders; Mental Recall; Middle Aged; Muscarinic Antagonists; Phenylpropanolamine; Tolterodine Tartrate; Urination Disorders

Topics: Aged; Benzhydryl Compounds; Cresols; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Memory Disorders; Muscarinic Antagonists; Phenylpropanolamine; Tolterodine Tartrate; Urinary Incontinence