Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41527161›Full record

ReviewJournal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA2026

Pharmacological management of agitation in dementia: An evidence-based review with expert consensus.

Chih-Ming Cheng, Meng-Ju Tsai, Chien-Chung Tseng, Yung-Shuan Lin, Yu-Shiou Lin, Liang-Yu Chen, Mu-N Liu, Jong-Ling Fuh

Abstract readConsensus StatementReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Agitation in dementia: Evidence-based consensus recommendations.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Chih-Ming ChengDepartment of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID 0000-0002-0670-1153
Meng-Ju TsaiSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chien-Chung TsengDepartment of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Yung-Shuan LinSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Yu-Shiou LinDepartment of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Liang-Yu ChenSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Mu-N LiuDepartment of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Jong-Ling FuhSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID 0000-0001-9135-3351

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Agitation is a frequently occurring and challenging neuropsychiatric symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that substantially affects quality of life, caregiver burden, and healthcare utilization. Nonpharmacological interventions, especially trigger identification, environmental adjustments, and supportive activities, remain the first-line approach for treating agitation. Pharmacological treatment should be considered only when nondrug measures are insufficient or when agitation causes severe distress or safety risks. This consensus integrates evidence up to June 2025, the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare approval status, and expert opinion from Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Among the approved agents, brexpiprazole demonstrated the strongest evidence and most favorable safety profile. Risperidone and aripiprazole are effective, but require careful monitoring for cerebrovascular and extrapyramidal risks. Selected antidepressants, particularly citalopram and agomelatine, should be considered when safety is prioritized. Anticonvulsants, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and memantine have limited efficacy and should be reserved for refractory cases. Long-term or routine pharmacological use is not supported by current evidence. Future research should focus on identifying responsive patient subgroups, optimizing dosing strategies, and integrating medications into individualized, multidisciplinary care plans.

Indexed as

DementiaPsychomotor AgitationAberrant Motor Behavior in DementiaAntipsychotic AgentsHumansAntipsychotic AgentsAgitationBehavioral and Psychological Symptoms of DementiaDementiaGuidelineMedication

Identifiers

PMID41527161
PMCPMC13004216

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.