HOLLYWOOD, FL - JUNE 16: A bottle of Ritalin sits on the counter of the Post Haste Pharmacy And Surgical Store on June 16, 2003 in Hollywood, Florida. The U.S. Senate is set to debate a new Medicare Bill aimed at reducing the high cost of prescription drugs for the elderly and disabled. The bill, which is estimated to cost $400 billion over ten years, is expected to gain Senate approval. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Joe Raedle/Getty Images
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) — A local researcher is hoping to find a way to keep Alzheimer’s patients from falling down so much.
Saint Louis University geriatric psychiatrist Dr. George Grossberg is looking at low doses of Ritalin to help Alzheimer’s patients in some local nursing homes stay on their feet more often.
“There is some evidence that low doses of the same medicine that we use in kids that have attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity disorder may improve concentration and focus in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease so they are less likely to have falls.”
Grossberg says falls are one of the leading causes of serious injury and death in the elderly.
