Pregabalin as a Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Dementia With Lewy Bodies: A Case Series.

Background Anxiety is a common and invalidating symptom of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Methods To evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin as a treatment for anxiety in DLB, we screened all medical files of our patients with DLB for the use of pregabalin in this context. Findings Overall, pregabalin was well tolerated. Ten (62.5%) of 16 patients showed an improvement of anxiety, whereas in 3 of them, anxiety disappeared completely, at respectively 3, 11, and 22 months of follow-up, with total daily doses ranging from 75 to 150 mg. Positive response to pregabalin was associated with a significant reduction in benzodiazepine use. Conclusions Pregabalin seems a useful and safe tool for treating anxiety in patients with DLB.