Treatment of Psychosis and Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

Clinically, many patients with AD show no response or minimal response to antipsychotics for symptoms of agitation/aggression or psychosis, or they have intolerable side effects on these medications. Antipsychotics have a wide range of side effects, including the risk of increased mortality (60-70% higher rate of death on antipsychotic compared to placebo) that led to an FDA black box warning for patients with dementia; a more recent review and meta-analysis showed a 54% increased risk of mortality. In addition, some patients show only partial response to antipsychotics and symptoms persist. For these reasons, the investigators need to study alternative treatment strategies. Currently, there is no FDA-approved medication for the treatment of psychosis or agitation in AD.

The investigators innovative project will examine the efficacy and side effects of low dose lithium treatment of agitation/aggression with or without psychosis in 80 patients with AD in a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial (essentially a Phase II trial). The results will determine the potential for a large-scale clinical trial (Phase III) to establish the utility of lithium in these patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Psychosis; Alzheimer's Disease; Agitation
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Lithium

Detailed Description

Symptoms of psychosis or agitation are common in Alzheimer's disease. These symptoms are associated with distress for the patient, an increased burden for caregivers, more rapid cognitive decline, greater risk of institutionalization and mortality, and increased health care costs. In a recent meta-analysis, caregiver education and behavior modification studies revealed a small to medium effect size in treating agitation in these patients. However, none of these studies were double-blind (difficult to achieve in such studies) and none had a control group that received the same amount of staff time as the intervention group, thereby biasing the results toward the active intervention.

Among the psychotropic medications that have been studied, only antipsychotics have shown superiority over placebo for the treatment of psychosis and agitation in patients with dementia.

However, most studies show only moderate superiority for antipsychotic over placebo and a few studies have been negative. The side effects of antipsychotic medications include sedation, extrapyramidal signs, tardive dyskinesia, weight gain, and the metabolic syndrome. A pooled analysis from 17 short-term trials showed that the mortality rate in patients with dementia receiving antipsychotic medications was 1.6 to 1.7 times as high (60-70% increase in mortality rate) as the mortality rate in patients receiving placebo. These findings led the FDA to issue a black-box warning for antipsychotic medication use in patients with dementia; a more recent meta-analysis reported a slightly lower odds ratio of 1.54 (54% increase in mortality rate).

Lithium has several different actions from anticonvulsants, though both are effective in bipolar disorder, especially mania. Lithium is not being proposed here to treat mania in AD though the investigators will monitor symptoms on the Young Mania Rating Scale. In patients with AD, lithium has been studied for its putative cognitive enhancing effects. A few reports suggest that chronic lithium use reduces the risk of dementia, but other data show increased dementia risk with lithium use. A placebo-controlled, single-blind lithium trial showed no cognitive effects in patients with AD, but a recent trial of lithium in 45 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, which often leads to clinically diagnosable AD) showed a small advantage for lithium (n=24) over placebo (n=21) in attention and other cognitive domains. None of these studies with lithium were intended to treat psychosis or agitation in AD, and patients with these symptoms typically were excluded in these clinical trials.

There has been no systematic placebo-controlled trial of lithium to treat agitation/aggression with or without psychosis in AD even though lithium is a highly effective treatment for mania with psychosis and symptoms of agitation or aggression. Nonetheless, the published studies of lithium to treat cognitive decline in older patients show that low-dose lithium is safe in patients with MCI or AD.

Specific Aims and Hypotheses Specific Aim 1. To compare changes in agitation/aggression with or without psychosis in patients with AD who receive 12 weeks of randomized, double-blind treatment with lithium or placebo.

Primary Hypothesis. Over these 12 weeks, the agitation/aggression domain score on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) will decrease significantly more on lithium than placebo.

Secondary Hypothesis. Over these 12 weeks, the proportion of responders on lithium will be significantly greater than the proportion of responders on placebo. Response is defined as a 30% decrease in NPI core score (defined as the sum of domains for agitation/aggression, delusions and hallucinations) plus a CGI Change score of much improved or very much improved (CGI based on these behavioral symptoms only). Exploratory hypothesis. Over these 12 weeks, the psychosis score, measured by the sum of the NPI domain scores for delusions and hallucinations, will decrease significantly more on lithium than placebo. Specific Aim 2. To evaluate the tolerability of low dose lithium by assessing emergent somatic side effects over the course of the 12-week trial on lithium compared to placebo. Specific Aim 3. To explore associations between improvement on lithium (decrease in agitation/aggression and psychosis scores) and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels (baseline, 12 weeks), a SNP in intron 1 of the ACCN1 gene, and variation at the 7q11.2 gene locus, because these indices are associated with lithium response in bipolar disorder. The investigators do not postulate a specific mechanism of action for lithium in the investigators trial, but will evaluate these three potential predictors of lithium response with the aim of improving patient selection for personalized treatment. The investigators will examine BDNF serum levels as a biomarker correlate of lithium treatment by correlating change in BDNF levels with change in NPI agitation/aggression and psychosis scores.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 77
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
      • University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
  • Massachusetts
    • Belmont, Massachusetts, United States, 02478
      • McLean Hospital
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10032
      • New York State Psychiatric Institute
  • Texas
    • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75235
      • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male and female adults.
2. Diagnosis of possible or probable AD by standard NIA criteria (McKahnn et al, 1984; McKhann et all, 2011)
3. Folstein MMSE 5-26 out of 30
4. Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) agitation/aggression subscale score > 4. On each subscale (frequency X severity), a score higher than 4 represents moderate to severe symptoms.
5. Female patients need to be post-menopausal
6. Availability of informant; patients without an informant will not be recruited. Patients who lack capacity must have a surrogate.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Medical contraindication to lithium treatment or prior history of intolerability to lithium treatment.

   Contraindications to lithium in this study include: resting tremor causing functional impairment, history of falls in the last month, untreated thyroid disease or any abnormal thyroid function test (T3, T4, or TSH), creatinine level greater than 1.5 mg/100ml or a glomerular filtration rate less than 44ml/min/ 1.73m2; blood pressure > 150/90 mm Hg; heart rate < 50 bpm; unstable cardiac disease based on history, physical examination, and ECG.

2. Medications, in combination with lithium, known to have adverse renal effects, including therapeutic or higher doses of diuretics, i.e. hydrochlorothiazide greater than 25mg daily or furosemide greater than 10mg daily. Whenever feasible, patients receiving concomitant antidepressants or antipsychotics will be washed off these medications for at least 24 hours before starting lithium. Patients who do not wish to discontinue antipsychotics or antidepressants, typically because of family member/caregiver objection, will be allowed to enter the trial provided there is no contraindication to concomitant lithium use with that specific psychotropic medication. During the trial, patients will be permitted to receive lorazepam as needed up to 1 mg/day for anxiety/insomnia, and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, e.g., zolpidem.
3. Current clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, other psychosis, or bipolar 1 disorder (DSM-IV TR criteria).
4. Current or recent (past 6 months) alcohol or substance dependence (DSM-IV TR criteria).
5. Current major depression or suicidality as assessed by the study psychiatrist.
6. Suicidal behavior or dangerous behavior with serious safety risk or risk of physical harm to self or others.
7. Parkinson's disease, Lewy body disease, multiple sclerosis, CNS infection, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, other major neurological disorder.
8. Clinical stroke with residual neurological deficits. MRI findings of cerebrovascular disease (small infarcts, lacunes, periventricular disease) in the absence of clinical stroke with residual neurological deficits will not lead to exclusion.
9. Acute, severe, unstable medical illness. For cancer, patients with active illness or metastases will be excluded, but past history of successfully treated cancer will not lead to exclusion.
10. QTc interval > 460 ms at the time of baseline EKG is an exclusion criterion for treatment.
11. Hypernatremia as determined by serum sodium level > 150 meq/L.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Lithium Treatment Group; The patient will be started on lithium 150mg/day, with subsequent dose titration to 300mg/day at the 2-week visit, 450mg/day at the 4-week visit, and 600mg/day (maximum daily dose) if tolerated and based on lithium blood level. Blood will be drawn at each study visit. This upward dose titration will occur only if clinically indicated (absence of response at lower doses without intolerable side effects). Patients who develop side effects, e.g., tremor, falls, will have their dose reduced.	Drug: Lithium; Other Names: lithium carbonate
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Group; The patient will be started on placebo 150mg/day, with subsequent dose titration to 300mg/day at the 2-week visit, 450mg/day at the 4-week visit, and 600mg/day (maximum daily dose) if tolerated and based on sham lithium blood level. Blood will be drawn for sham lithium levels at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12. This upward dose titration will occur only if clinically indicated (absence of response at lower doses without intolerable side effects). Patients who develop side effects, e.g., tremor, falls, will have their dose reduced.	Drug: Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Agitation/Aggression Domain Score	Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Agitation/Aggression Domain is the measure used that combines symptoms of agitation and aggression. Frequency X Severity rating score, range 0-12. Higher score indicates more agitation and aggressive behavior.	Assessed at screening, Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Clinical Responder Defined as a 30% Decrease in NPI Core Score (Sum Score of NPI Domains of Agitation/Aggression, Delusions and Hallucinations) Together With a Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Behavior Change Score of 1 or 2	The patient is classified as a responder (score=1) if both criteria are met or as a non-responder (score=0) if both criteria are not met. The first criterion to determine responder status, NPI core score, has a scoring range 0-36; each of the three component scores for symptoms of agitation/aggression, delusions and hallucinations has a scoring range 0-12. For each symptom and the total score, higher score indicates more symptoms. The second criterion to determine responder status, Clinical Global Impression (CGI), is used to assess change in overall behavior; scoring range 1-7 with higher scores indicating worsening over time and lower scores indicating improvement over time. Only patients who met both criteria, assessed as change compared to baseline, were counted as responders; all other patients were non-responders. Patients that demonstrated improvement at week 12 were reported; scores for earlier weeks were only used to assess progress throughout the study.	Week 12
Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Behavior Change	Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Behavior Change score is the measure used to assess change in overall behavior; scoring range 1-7 with higher scores indicating worsening over time and lower scores indicating improvement over time. Scores ranging from 1-3 indicate improvement. Only patients that demonstrated improvement at week 12 were reported; scores for earlier weeks were only used to assess progress throughout the study.	Week 12
Young Mania Rating Scale	Young Mania Rating Scale total score is the measure used to assess symptoms that occur in mania; each item is a symptom that is rated for severity. Scoring range 0-60; higher scores indicate more severe symptoms.	Assessed at Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12
Treatment Emergent Signs and Symptoms	Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale that covers 26 somatic symptoms, each rated as present (score=1) or absent (score=0). Total score is the measure used with scoring range 0-26; higher scores indicate more somatic symptoms.	Assessed at Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12
Simpson-Angus Scale	Simpson Angus Scale for Extrapyramidal Sign requires in-person examination to assess gait, arm dropping, shoulder shaking, elbow rigidity, wrist rigidity, leg pendulousness, head dropping, glabella tap, tremor, and salivation. Total score is the measure used, range 0-40; higher scores indicate increased severity of signs.	Assessed at Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12
Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL)	Basic Activities of Daily Living with items for 6 functions: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding. Each item is scored as unimpaired=1, impaired=0. Total score is the measure used, range 0-6; higher scores indicate better functioning.	Assessed at Week 0, Week2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12
Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview	Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview with the caregiver asked to rank 22 items on a scale with responses for each item from 'never' (score 0) to 'nearly always' (score 4). Total score is the measure used; range 0-88 with higher scores indicating greater caregiver burden.	Assessed at Week 0, Week 4, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Folstein Mini-Mental Status Exam	30 item questionnaire used to assess degree of cognitive impairment. Orientation, registration, attention/calculation, recall, language, repetitions and commands are assessed. Total score is the measure used; range 0-30, higher scores indicate better global cognitive function.	Assessed at Screening, Week 12
Severe Impairment Battery	Neuropsychological test used to assess a patient's cognitive ability. The patient is asked to complete small tasks such as drawing shapes and printing their name. They are also asked to remember certain names and objects, such as a cup and a spoon, and the evaluator's first name. Total score is the measure used; range 0-100, higher scores indicate better cognition.	Assessed at Week 0, Week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: DP Devanand, MD, Columbia University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Schneider LS, Dagerman KS, Insel P. Risk of death with atypical antipsychotic drug treatment for dementia: meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. JAMA. 2005 Oct 19;294(15):1934-43. doi: 10.1001/jama.294.15.1934.
• Schneider LS, Dagerman K, Insel PS. Efficacy and adverse effects of atypical antipsychotics for dementia: meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Mar;14(3):191-210. doi: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000200589.01396.6d.
• Devanand DP, Marder K, Michaels KS, Sackeim HA, Bell K, Sullivan MA, Cooper TB, Pelton GH, Mayeux R. A randomized, placebo-controlled dose-comparison trial of haloperidol for psychosis and disruptive behaviors in Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Nov;155(11):1512-20. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.11.1512.
• Camins A, Verdaguer E, Junyent F, Yeste-Velasco M, Pelegri C, Vilaplana J, Pallas M. Potential mechanisms involved in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases by lithium. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2009 Winter;15(4):333-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2009.00086.x.
• Devanand DP, Mintzer J, Schultz SK, Andrews HF, Sultzer DL, de la Pena D, Gupta S, Colon S, Schimming C, Pelton GH, Levin B. Relapse risk after discontinuation of risperidone in Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 2012 Oct 18;367(16):1497-507. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1114058. Erratum In: N Engl J Med. 2012 Dec 20;367(25):2458.
• Dunn N, Holmes C, Mullee M. Does lithium therapy protect against the onset of dementia? Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2005 Jan-Mar;19(1):20-2. doi: 10.1097/01.wad.0000155068.23937.9b.
• Fahy S, Lawlor BA. Lithium use in octogenarians. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2001 Oct;16(10):1000-3. doi: 10.1002/gps.452.
• Forlenza OV, Diniz BS, Radanovic M, Santos FS, Talib LL, Gattaz WF. Disease-modifying properties of long-term lithium treatment for amnestic mild cognitive impairment: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2011 May;198(5):351-6. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.080044.
• Haddad P, Wieck A, Yarrow M, Denham P. 1999. The Lithium Side Effects Rating Scale (LISERS); development of a self-rating instrument. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 9(s5): 231-232.
• Hampel H, Ewers M, Burger K, Annas P, Mortberg A, Bogstedt A, Frolich L, Schroder J, Schonknecht P, Riepe MW, Kraft I, Gasser T, Leyhe T, Moller HJ, Kurz A, Basun H. Lithium trial in Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter 10-week study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Jun;70(6):922-31.
• Janowsky DS, Buneviciute J, Hu Q, Davis JM. Lithium-induced renal insufficiency: a longitudinal study of creatinine increases in intellectually disabled adults. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2011 Dec;31(6):769-73. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e31823607db.
• Jefferson JW. A clinician's guide to monitoring kidney function in lithium-treated patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;71(9):1153-7. doi: 10.4088/JCP.09m05917yel.
• Katz I, de Deyn PP, Mintzer J, Greenspan A, Zhu Y, Brodaty H. The efficacy and safety of risperidone in the treatment of psychosis of Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia: a meta-analysis of 4 placebo-controlled clinical trials. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007 May;22(5):475-84. doi: 10.1002/gps.1792.
• Kessing LV, Sondergard L, Forman JL, Andersen PK. Lithium treatment and risk of dementia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Nov;65(11):1331-5. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.65.11.1331.
• Macdonald A, Briggs K, Poppe M, Higgins A, Velayudhan L, Lovestone S. A feasibility and tolerability study of lithium in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;23(7):704-11. doi: 10.1002/gps.1964.
• McKnight RF, Adida M, Budge K, Stockton S, Goodwin GM, Geddes JR. Lithium toxicity profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2012 Feb 25;379(9817):721-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61516-X. Epub 2012 Jan 20.
• Nunes PV, Forlenza OV, Gattaz WF. Lithium and risk for Alzheimer's disease in elderly patients with bipolar disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;190:359-60. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.029868.
• Rej S, Abitbol R, Looper K, Segal M. Chronic renal failure in lithium-using geriatric patients: effects of lithium continuation versus discontinuation--a 60-month retrospective study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 May;28(5):450-3. doi: 10.1002/gps.3841. Epub 2012 Jun 4.
• Shulman KI, Sykora K, Gill SS, Mamdani M, Anderson G, Marras C, Wodchis WP, Lee PE, Rochon P. New thyroxine treatment in older adults beginning lithium therapy: implications for clinical practice. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2005 Apr;13(4):299-304. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajgp.13.4.299.
• Tariot PN, Schneider LS, Cummings J, Thomas RG, Raman R, Jakimovich LJ, Loy R, Bartocci B, Fleisher A, Ismail MS, Porsteinsson A, Weiner M, Jack CR Jr, Thal L, Aisen PS; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Group. Chronic divalproex sodium to attenuate agitation and clinical progression of Alzheimer disease. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Aug;68(8):853-61. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.72.
• Tredget J, Kirov A, Kirov G. Effects of chronic lithium treatment on renal function. J Affect Disord. 2010 Nov;126(3):436-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.04.018. Epub 2010 May 16.
• Wong YW, Tam S, So KF, Chen JY, Cheng WS, Luk KD, Tang SW, Young W. A three-month, open-label, single-arm trial evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of oral lithium in patients with chronic spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2011 Jan;49(1):94-8. doi: 10.1038/sc.2010.69. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
• Zhang X, Heng X, Li T, Li L, Yang D, Zhang X, Du Y, Doody RS, Le W. Long-term treatment with lithium alleviates memory deficits and reduces amyloid-beta production in an aged Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model. J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;24(4):739-49. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2011-101875.
• Devanand DP, Crocco E, Forester BP, Husain MM, Lee S, Vahia IV, Andrews H, Simon-Pearson L, Imran N, Luca L, Huey ED, Deliyannides DA, Pelton GH. Low Dose Lithium Treatment of Behavioral Complications in Alzheimer's Disease: Lit-AD Randomized Clinical Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Jan;30(1):32-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2021.04.014. Epub 2021 May 12.
• Devanand DP, Strickler JG, Huey ED, Crocco E, Forester BP, Husain MM, Vahia IV, Andrews H, Wall MM, Pelton GH. Lithium Treatment for Agitation in Alzheimer's disease (Lit-AD): Clinical rationale and study design. Contemp Clin Trials. 2018 Aug;71:33-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.05.019. Epub 2018 May 31.

Helpful Links

• Low Dose Lithium Treatment of Behavioral Complications in Alzheimer's Disease: Lit-AD Randomized Clinical Trial

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 29, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): May 2, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 10, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 8, 2024
• Last Verified: January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; psychosis; agitation; aggression; Lithium; hallucinations; delusions
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurocognitive Disorders; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Dyskinesias; Psychomotor Disorders; Dementia; Tauopathies; Psychotic Disorders; Psychomotor Agitation; Mental Disorders; Alzheimer Disease; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Central Nervous System Depressants; Enzyme Inhibitors; Tranquilizing Agents; Psychotropic Drugs; Antidepressive Agents; Antimanic Agents; Lithium Carbonate
• Other Study ID Numbers: #6915; 1R01AG047146-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)