Use of antiseizure and other mood medicines in nursing homes during the COVID-19 era
Prescribing trends and associated outcomes of antiepileptic drugs and other psychoactive medications in US nursing homes surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
This research looks at how antiseizure and other psychoactive medicines were prescribed to people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias in U.S. nursing homes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158871 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze nursing home prescribing and health records to track changes in antiseizure (antiepileptic) and other psychoactive medication use over time. The focus is on long-stay residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including those without epilepsy who may receive these drugs for behavioral symptoms. They will link prescriptions to outcomes such as falls, hospitalizations, and other adverse events and compare patterns before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will use national datasets (for example, CMS/Medicare and nursing home records) and apply statistical methods to identify trends and safety signals.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The findings are most relevant to long-stay nursing home residents in the U.S. who have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias and who received antiseizure or other psychoactive medications.
Not a fit: People without dementia, community-dwelling older adults, or individuals who take antiseizure drugs for epilepsy are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help reduce unsafe prescribing and improve medication safety for people with dementia in nursing homes.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work showed antipsychotic use fell after the CMS Partnership while antiseizure drug use rose, so similar observational analyses have identified trends but stronger links to patient harms remain understudied.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winter, Jonathan David — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Winter, Jonathan David
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.