The Effect of Oxcarbazepine in the Treatment of Agitation / Aggression in Dementia (OBAD)

Inclusion Criteria: Alzheimer's dementia, vascular dementia or mixed forms of both according to ICD10 (F00, F01) criteria. The patient is 55 years of age or older. Residents at a nursing home and who have been there for at least 4 weeks prior to inclusion. Signed informed consent by the patient or the relatives signed agreement that they have no reservations against patient's participation in the study. At least one week history of agitation or aggression, score 6 or more in NPI-NH-subscale agitation/aggression. Exclusion Criteria: Previous intolerability or known hypersensitivity to Oxcarbazepine or its equivalents Low sodium serum levels <135 mmol/L Severe impaired renal function (creatinine clearance <30 ml/min, calculated with Cockroft + Gault's formula) Hepatic failure (transaminases (g-GT and ALAT > 3 times upper normal limit). Patients with AV-block II and III and all kinds of arrhythmia necessitating a treatment. Severe somatic diseases that afford a change of medication and will compromise the attendance to the study. Patients on cyclosporine. Patients in need of strong analgesics like opioids as codeines Patients taking carisoprodol Alcohol or drug abuse during the last 12 months (used a higher dosage than prescribed) The patient has been on ChEIs or memantine for less than 3 months or any change in the dosage during the last 2 weeks. The patient is taking antiepileptics or antipsychotics (may be included two weeks after the use of antipsychotics has been ended). The patient is taking MAOI or lithium The patient with a dementia of type PDD, FTD or DLB The patients with a severe or acute neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy, acute CVE, severe Parkinson's disease, acute confusion) or a severe psychiatric disorder like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia... The patients who have participated in another clinical trial during the last 3 months. The patients who have been randomized to the same study before.