[Assessment of adherence to nootropic medications in neurological patients. (APRIORI study)].
TL;DR
The requirement for multiple daily dosing as a primary contributor to low adherence to nootropic therapy is identified, and this barrier may be mitigated by prescribing nootropics with prolonged-release formulations that permit once-daily administration.
Abstract
Objective
To identify factors that neurologists consider determinants of adherence to nootropic medications in patients with neurological disorders. MATERIAL AND
Methods
This cross-sectional descriptive study included 122 neurologists from St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Participants completed a treatment adherence (TA) questionnaire comprising 30 statements divided into four domains: disease-related, patient-related, physician-related, and medication-related factors. Respondents rated their agreement with each statement using a 5-point Likert scale. The most significant statement in each category was identified.
Results
The key factors negatively influencing adherence to nootropic medications were the chronic nature of the disease (χ2=8.40; p=0.14), exposure to negative information about the physician online (χ2=17.03; p=0.004), and the requirement for multiple daily doses (χ2=25.03; p=0.0009). In contrast, advanced age was associated with improved adherence to nootropic therapy (χ2=47.27; p=0.0014).
Conclusion
Neurologists identified the requirement for multiple daily dosing as a primary contributor to low adherence to nootropic therapy. This barrier may be mitigated by prescribing nootropics with prolonged-release formulations that permit once-daily administration. Other barriers, such as the chronic course of the disease and patient age, are non-modifiable, whereas negative information about the physician online is challenging to address.