Original broadcast date: January 20, 2008

One of the more difficult aspects in treating agitation and aggressive behaviour in people with Alzheimer’s is choosing medications that are effective but without severe side effects.

In a study published online in the September 2007 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers at Toronto’s Baycrest geriatric centre and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health teamed up to conduct a head-to-head trial of the antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) and the antipsychotic risperidone (Risperdal) in non-depressed patients with dementia.

• Dr. Bruce Pollock, BSc, MD, PhD, researcher at Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital and the Geriatric Mental Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, professor of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, chair in neuropsychiatry at Baycrest Hospital and lead investigator in this study.