Results: 50 349 patients with incident dementia
diagnosis and 50 349 matched controls, 10 794 firsttime users of AChEI and 669 of memantine. The mean
prevalence of antipsychotic use from 1995 to 2011 on
diagnosis of dementia was 12.5%, decreasing from
19.9% in 1995 to 7.4% in 2011. There was an
increase in antidepressant use (10.7–26.3%) and a
small increase in anxiolytic use. The matched cohort
showed a lower use of antipsychotics and anxiolytics
but a rise in antidepressants (5.9–13.4%). Both groups
showed a decrease in hypnotic use. 10.6% of AChEI
and 26.3% of memantine users were prescribed
antipsychotics, 34.1% and 26.3% antidepressants,
13.2% and 4.1% anxiolytics and 18.4% and 8.3%
hypnotics. The slopes for monthly use of
antipsychotics were positive in the year leading up to
AChEI and memantine use; after treatment initiation the
slope for AChEI users continued to increase but at a
reduced rate whereas antipsychotic use declined for
memantine users.
Conclusions: The marked reduction in antipsychotic
use in dementia is to be welcomed while there was a
steady increase in antidepressant use. There was a
decline in ant