Table 2.
Summary of all the individual studies found. Fourteen studies examined gabapentin only, and one study pregabalin only (total number of patients across studies 91 for gabapentin and 6 for pregabalin)
| Author/year | Type of study | n (Female) | Type of dementia | Drug | Average daily dose | Measure of agitation scale/score | Results | Side effects, and number discontinuing (where stated) | LOE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regan and Gordon 1997 50 | Case report | 1 (1) | AD | Gabapentin | 600 mg day−1 (300 mg BID) | Nursing report | Improved | N/A | 5 |
| Goldenberg et al. 1998 51 | Case report | 1 (1) | AD | Gabapentin | 600 mg day−1 (200 mg TID) | Nursing report | Control of the behavioral symptoms at follow up period (2 months) | none | 5 |
| Sheldon et al. 1998 55 | Case series | 2 (1) | AD, AD+FTD | Gabapentin | 600 mg day−1 (300 mg BID) | Nursing report | Improved | none | 4 |
| Low and Brandes 1999 52 | Case report | 1 (0) | Unspecified | Gabapentin | 900 mg day−1 (300 mg TID) | Nursing report | Improved | N/A | 5 |
| Dallocchio et al. 2000 56 | Case series | 2 (0) | AD | Gabapentin | 300 mg day−1 (300 mg qHS) | NPIe | Improved | Drowsiness | 4 |
| Hawkins et al. 2000 60 | Case series | 24(0) | AD, VaD, dementia of traumatic brain injury, anoxic brain damage dementia, dementia NOS, alcoholic dementia, Parkinson's dementia | Gabapentin | 1318 mg day−1 average (300–3600 mg day−1) | OASa, OASSYb, CMAIc, CGI‐Id | 5‐very much improved 12‐ much Improved 4‐Minimally Improved 1‐Unchanged 2‐Dropout | Excessive sedation, 2 | 4 |
| Herrmann et al. 2000 61 | Case series | 12(1) | AD, VaD, FTD, alcoholic dementia | Gabapentin | 900 mg day−1 average (200–1200 mg day−1) | NPIe, CGI‐Id, CMAIc | 2‐Much improved 3‐Minimally improved 6‐Unchanged 1‐Minimally worse 2‐Dropout | Sedation, unsteady gait, 2 | 4 |
| Roane et al. 2000 58 | Case series | 4(3) | AD, VaD | Gabapentin | 2400 mg day−1 | OASa | Improved | Headache, dizziness, reduced ambulation, sedation, disorientation | 4 |
| Miller 2001 54 | Case report | 1 | VaD | Gabapentin | 600–900 mg day−1 | N/A | Improved | None | 5 |
| Rossi et al. 2002 57 | Case series | 2(1) | DLB | Gabapentin | 300–900 mg day−1 | N/A | Worsen | Confusion, agitation, worsening of hallucinations | 4 |
| Moretti et al. 2003 59 | Case series/open label | 20(7) | AD | Gabapentin | 980 ± 154 mg day−1 | NPIe, CMAIc, CGI‐Id | Improved | None | 4 |
| Raudino et al. 2004 62 | Case series | 9(4) | AD | Gabapentin | 600–1200 mg day−1 | NPIe |
2 – Good 5 – Worse 2 – Discontinued |
Excessive Sedation | 4 |
| Buskova et al. 2011 53 | Case report | 1(1) | VaD | Gabapentin | 400 mg day−1 | CMAIc | 0 agitation/ wandering (CMAI was 39 after intervention but unclear as to whether this was improvement) | N/A | 5 |
| Cooney et al. 2013 63 | Case series | 7(1) | VaD, Mixed (AD+VaD) | Gabapentin | 100–200 mg BID | Nursing report | Improved | N/A | 4 |
| Bardet 2015 64 | Case series | 6(N/A) | Unspecified | Pregabalin |
Case 1: Acutely: 200 mg TID, later 350 mg OD. Case 2, 3, 4: 300–600 mg OD. Case 5: 125 mg OD. Case 6: 75 mg OD. |
Reports from nurse assistant | Decrease in aggressive behaviours | None | 4 |
a
Overt Aggression Scale (OAS)
b
Overt Agitation Severity Scale of Yudofsky and Silver (OASSY)
c
Cohen‐Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)
d
Clinical Global Impression, Improvement (CGI‐I)
e
Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)
AD, Alzheimer's disease; BID, twice daily; DLB, lewy body dementia; FTD, frontotemporal dementia; LOE, levels of evidence; N/A, not stated; NOS, not otherwise specified; OD, once daily; QHS, at bedtime; TID, three times daily; VaD, vascular dementia