Abstract
Objective: in an effort to enhance medication prescribing for older adults and reduce the burden of cognitive impairment, this paper reviews the literature regarding the negative impact of anticholinergics on cognitive function and provides clinicians with a practical guidance for anticholinergic use in older adults. Methods: a Medline search identified studies evaluating the use of anticholinergics and the relationship between anticholinergics and cognitive impairment. Results: prescribing anticholinergics for older adults leads to acute cognitive impairment and, possibly, chronic cognitive deficits. Assessing anticholinergic burden with a simple scale may represent a useful noninvasive tool to optimize geriatric pharmacotherapy. Conclusion: more studies are needed to validate the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale and establish therapeutic guidelines in the presence of cognitive anticholinergic adverse effects.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.