Drug side effects affecting older intellectually disabled

Almost one-third of older people with intellectual disabilities are being prescribed high levels of certain medicines with side effects which can negatively affect their health and quality of life.

A research team from Trinity College Dublin and Aston University in Britain found people with intellectual disability were commonly prescribed medicines described as having anti-cholinergic activity.

These medicines block a key neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is involved in passing messages between nerve cells.