Faculty Collaboration Database

Antimuscarinic drugs: review of the cognitive impact when used to treat overactive bladder in elderly patients. Curr Urol Rep 2011 Oct;12(5):351-7

Date

05/25/2011

Pubmed ID

21607875

DOI

10.1007/s11934-011-0198-9

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-80755190051 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   71 Citations

Abstract

The blockade of muscarinic receptors in the management of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms provides beneficial as well as adverse effects. The cognitive changes observed are caused by the drugs' ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to muscarinic receptors within the central nervous system (CNS). To date, while not specifically testing for CNS side effects, most of the controlled efficacy trials of multiple OAB medications have not shown significant adverse effects on cognitive function. However, elderly individuals, in whom OAB is more prevalent, often are excluded from these studies. The few trials that have performed cognitive testing in healthy elderly people taking antimuscarinics have clearly shown that oxybutynin can adversely affect cognition. Darifenacin, trospium, solifenacin, and tolterodine appear to have little to no risk of causing CNS side effects in this population. However, caution needs to be used in elderly patients with preexisting dementia.

Author List

Pagoria D, O'Connor RC, Guralnick ML

Authors

Michael Guralnick MD Professor in the Urologic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Robert Corey O'Connor MD Professor in the Urologic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Cognition Disorders
Humans
Muscarinic Antagonists
Receptors, Muscarinic
Urinary Bladder, Overactive