Abstract
It is well-recognized that anticholinergic medication negatively impacts cognitive functioning, particularly in older adults. Additionally, there are cognitive impacts of polypharmacy, cognitive effects of drug-drug interactions, and possible neuropsychiatric side effects of multiple drug classes. This chapter reviews how medications can impact brain structure, cognitive function, and contribute to dementia risk. This chapter also reviews the strength of evidence for potential reversal of cognitive impairments by deprescribing or augmenting medications to reduce cognitive burden.