In this study, our aim was to analyse the prescriptions of drugs used to improve Alzheimer's disease at CHS Paul Guiraud. This study was carried out a posteriori on 16 hospitalized patients. We have seen that for our patients there is no general rule, nor therapeutic scheme but the choice of treatment is carried out according to the professional experience of the physician. The treatment therefore is composed of symptomatic drugs alone or associated with etiologic drugs. Eleven anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs were prescribed. Alimemazine is the most prescribed in the sixteen cases. The preferential use of this drug can be explained by its presentation in the form of drops. In two cases, behavioural improvements were noted, in two other cases, we noted accentuation of dementia. Meprobamate used in seven cases of the sixteen, was never used alone. We find neuroleptics in fifteen of the sixteen cases studied: In seven cases they were administred from the beginning of the hospitalisation; for the others they were introduced later during a phase of agitation or delirium. On the whole, they were effective on agressive agitation, in particular thioridazine. Eight of the patients, were treated with haloperidol. In two cases, the behaviour disorders were not stopped; in four cases, there was a worseing of dementia. We noted depression in 6 cases from the beginning of hospitalization, and two cases during hospitalization. The anti-depressive drugs besides their main effect, reduce also anxiety. In two cases, we observed an aggravation of desorientation and confusion following of the prescription of amitryptiline and mianserine. We noted 14 patients who had an etiological treatment and in 11 of these cases, this treatment began as soon as they were hospitalised. Nine different substances were used in order to improve cognitive functions which we classified in 3 groups ''brain vasodilatators, dopaminergic agonist, nootropic drugs''. This study shows that it is difficult to indicate if an aggravation of dementia is due to the degenerative process or if some drugs used are partly responsible. In fact only stopping the treatment with as a result, a deterioration of the clinical condition would definitely imply the drug; whereas, the prescription is rarely stopped with this purpose. Furthermore, more and more we are involved with patients who are polymedicamented with the risk of drug's interferences. In spite of difficulties, we ascertained that psychotropic drugs allow to modify the behaviour and facilitate the life in the community. In conclusion, these data confirmed the lack of substances with a continuous efficacity and without iatrogenic effects.
