Prescription patterns of psychotropic medications and use of electroconvulsive therapy in Chinese patients with dementia

Background: Little is known about psychiatric pharmacotherapy and somatic treatments in dementia in China. This study examined the prescription patterns of psychotropic medications and use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in dementia patients hospitalized in a psychiatric institution in Beijing, China. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 401 patients with dementia treated over a period of 7 years (2007 - 2013) in a university-affiliated psychiatric institution in Beijing. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic chart management system (ECMS) for discharged patients. Results: Nearly all patients (96.8%) received psychotropic medications in order of frequency: second-generation antipsychotics (83.0%), benzodiazepines (77.8%), first generation antipsychotics (39.7%), antidepressants (29.7%), and mood stabilizers (24.7%). The rate of polypharmacy and ECT use was 82.0% and 3.7%, respectively. Prescription of mood stabilizers was associated with longer length of hospitalization. Conclusions: In a major psychiatric hospital in China, ECT was sporadically used in patients with dementia, while the vast majority of patients received at least one type of psychotropic medication. Factors contributing to the high use of psychopharmacological interventions in this population warrant further investigations.