Not really. Add to the discussion there was a recent article showing that antipsychotics can actually worsen cognition in the demented.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/168/8/767
The one thing about the study that jabbed me was that the atypicals used were the ones where you'd expect the patients to possibly be zonked out, Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Risperdal.
Would the same have occurred with the atypicals where sedation is less of a side effect such as Geodon and Abilify?
A study showing cognitive decline suggests it's doing something bad to the brain, but I think it may have just been simply over-sedation. While that's not good, in fact it's terrible considering the patients may have been over-medicated into oblivion and what experienced psychiatrist hasn't seen that?, it certainly better sounding than "cognitive decline."
The issue with Depakote is just WTF is it supposed to do to help the demented person other than simply sedating them? If you're going to do that, might as well just pop out the Vistaril or a low dose of an atypical. Dementia is not a seizure, nor is it bipolar disorder like in terms of the theory as to how it works.
Zonking a patient into oblivion is sometimes seen as a success by (bad) treatment teams because now they don't have to deal with a troublesome patient that is actually causing them to work for real. After all, who here really can afford missing their daily dose of the Price is Right or People's Court? The only time I find medicating a patient to that degree appropriate is in acute emergencies where there is immediate danger involved. When that patient is knocked out, a good psychiatrist is going to scramble to figure out a better medication regimen where the patient can hopefully actually get a better quality of life other than to have to keep them zonked.
An idea that crossed my mind for possible research was using UV spectrum light as a form of possible treatment for the demented. There's a theory that sundowning occurs because sunlight actually stimulates the frontal cortex. At night, no sunlight, the person is going to get in touch with their inner beast. If any of you want to take that idea and run with it go ahead. Just buy me a dinner or drink some time at a convention.
