Central nervous system adverse drug events of antimuscarinic medication

Abstract

Overactive bladder is characterized by episodes of urgency, micturition frequency, nocturia and, in majority of patients, by urge incontinence. It is a chronic disease, which impairs quality of life.

Its prevalence increases with advancing age. In clinical practice before starting treatment with antimuscarinics it is recommended to assess cognitive functions and identify patients with with increased risk of CNS ADEs (patients with concomitant use of other anticholinergic drugs and patients with pre-existing structural brain pathology) for whom antimuscarinics with lowest potential of CNS ADEs are an option (trospium, chloride, darifenacin, fesoterodin).

Keywords

• overactive bladder
• antimuscarinic drugs
• adverse drug events
• central anticholinergic effect
• cognitive performance