Anticholinergic drugs and cognitive impairment

Impaired cognitive function poses a major concern for elderly patients, with age‐related cholinergic deficit likely contributing to cognitive decline. Nevertheless, the cause of cognitive impairment in elderly patients is mostly multifactorial, with drug‐induced adverse events also a possible etiologic factor. Benzodiazepines, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and anticholinergic drugs all have been implicated in the development of cognitive impairment.

Source: The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update - January 24, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Y. W. Francis Lam Tags: Drug ‐Drug Interactions Source Type: research