| Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors |
| Donepezil (Aricept)10,11 | 10 mg at bedtime | Improvement in outpatients but not in patients in extended-care facilities | Secondary data analysis in populations studied for cognitive loss |
| Galantamine (Razadyne: formerly Reminyl)12 | 6 to 12 mg twice per day | Improvement on Neuropsychiatric Inventory | Secondary endpoint in populations studied for cognitive loss |
| Rivastigmine (Exelon)13 | 3 to 6 mg twice per day | Less anxiety and psychosis | Secondary endpoint in populations studied for cognitive loss |
| Anticonvulsants and mood stabilizers |
| Carbamazepine (Tegretol)14,15 | Variable | May reduce aggression | Side effects and toxicity limit use. |
| Divalproex (Depakote)16,17 | 375 to 1,375 mg per day | Continued improvement in agitation over time; well tolerated | — |
| Antidepressants |
| Citalopram (Celexa)18,19 | 10 to 40 mg per day | Reduced agitation | — |
| Fluoxetine (Prozac)20 | 5 to 40 mg per day | — | No data for effect in nondepressed patients |
| Sertraline (Zoloft)20 | 25 to 200 mg per day | — | No data for effect in nondepressed patients |
| Trazodone (Desyrel)14,15 | 25 to 300 mg per day | Reduced verbal aggression | — |
| Anxiolytics |
| Buspirone (BuSpar) | 15 to 30 mg per day | — | No randomized clinical trials support use. |
| Lorazepam (Ativan)21 | 0.5 to 5 mg per day | — | No randomized clinical trials support use. Restrict use to patients with acute agitation. |
| Atypical antipsychotics |
| Clozapine (Clozaril)22,23 | 25 to 50 mg at bedtime | Effective in reducing drug- induced psychosis in patients with Parkinson’s disease | Use limited by required hematologic monitoring. |
| Olanzapine (Zyprexa)24 | 2.5 to 10 mg at bedtime | Improvement in agitation and aggression | Significant sedation when given at higher dosages; use with caution in patients with diabetes. |
| Quetiapine (Seroquel)25 | 12.5 to 300 mg at bedtime | Results in psychosis were negative. | Antipsychotic of choice in patients with parkinsonian symptoms. |
| Risperidone (Risperdal)26,27 | 0.5 to 1.5 mg at bedtime | Improvement in psychosis and agitation | FDA has warned about “cerebrovascular events” in patients taking this drug. |
| Typical antipsychotics |
| Haloperidol (Haldol)28,29 | < 1.5 mg per day | Variably effective at low dosages | Side effects limit use; not recommended except in patients with acute agitation and delirium. |