Review: atypical antipsychotics may be useful in treating behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia but cause adverse effects.

The article presents a study on the effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics in treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Researchers observed that at 6-12 weeks, both risperidone and olanzapine significantly reduced scores for BPSD compared with placebo in four trials. Limited evidence exists for the efficacy of atypical antipsychotic drugs for BPSD, especially where compared with typical anti-psychotics. Further trials are needed before atypical antipsychotics can be recommended for BPSD, including studies on adverse events.