Dextromethorphan and quinidine are suitable for off-label short-term treatment of agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease following firstline non-drug approaches.

The article reflects on a research related to use of dextromethorphan and quinidine for treatment of agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease. Topics discussed include high risks of distress, caregiver burden, mortality and institutionalisation, improvement in agitation by using use of dextromethorphan and quinidine, and efforts to reduce placebo response in trials of neuropsychiatric symptoms.