Upstate Seeks Alzheimer's Patients With Disruptive Behavior to Participate in Drug Study

Upstate Medical University is looking for patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease as participants in a new clinical trial of a well-established blood pressure medication in helping patients with disruptive behavior, reports Syracuse.com . The Prazosin for Disruptive Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (PEACE-AD) study will investigate whether prazosin can help Alzheimer's patients who have disruptive agitation because of the disease. Upstate's Nappi Longevity Institute is participating, with the work coordinated by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study. The nationwide clinical trial is seeking 186 participants, including five to 10 from Upstate. The 16-week trial involves 13 visits, and participants must be living at home with a full-time caregiver and have been experiencing disruptive behaviors for four weeks. They will be required to take a daily medication, have blood pressure monitored with a provided device, and answer a series of behavioral questions.