The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update articles from August 2009

The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update archives from August 2009

Homocysteine a prognostic marker for cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients: treatment with folic acid/vitamin B12 may be warranted.(OPTIMA Study Results)
August 1, 2009... Newly published findings from the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing (OPTIMA) indicate that plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration appears to be a reliable prognostic marker for cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's...

Study of donepezil for MCI shows only minor improvement in patients.(Mild Cognitive Impairment)
August 1, 2009... In a 48-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who were treated with donepezil 10 mg did not perform better than participants treated with placebo on two major...

Tardive dyskinesia caused by aripiprazole.(Adverse Events)
August 1, 2009... Tardive dyskinesia is a common side effect associated with long-term use of typical antipsychotic agents. The risk is usually lower with the use of atypical antipsychotic agents. Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a third generation antipsychotic with a...

Rivastigmine patch safety and tolerability in AD patients.(What's New in Research)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2009... Results from a 28-week open-label extension study found the 9.5 mg/24 hour rivastigmine patch provided sustained treatment benefits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients for up to one year. The rivastigmine patch showed a favorable safety and...

Memantine shows promise for Lewy body-related dementias.(What's New in Research)
August 1, 2009... Memantine was more effective than placebo in improving global functioning in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), according to preliminary findings of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial....

Tolcapone for response fluctuations in elderly PD patients.(News Notes)
August 1, 2009... Tolcapone (Tasmar), an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), appears to be a safe and effective treatment for response fluctuations in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a prospective, open-label,...

Predictors of response to cholinesterase inhibitors in AD patients.(News Notes)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2009... In a study conducted by Swedish researchers, a fast rate of pretreatment progression was found to be a consistent, positive predictor of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) treatment response. The study was carried out among 191 outpatients with a...

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome induced by sertraline discontinuation.(Case Report)(Case study)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2009... Patient: Female, 79 years old Medications: Sertraline (Zoloft), metformin (Fortamet, Glumetza), levothyroxine (Levothyroid, Levo-T), diazepam (Valium), levodopa+benserazide compound Case: A 79-year-old woman with a 40-year history of major...

Acupressure and Montessori activities decrease agitation in dementia patients.(News Notes)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2009... A Taiwanese study found that agitated dementia patients respond well to a combination of daily traditional Chinese acupressure and Western Montessori-based activities. The study was carried out among 130 institutionalized dementia patients who...

New approvals.(From the FDA)(Lamictal XR)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Lamotrigine extended-release (Lamictal XR) was approved as a once-daily, new-generation treatment for epilepsy patients 13 years of age or older with partial onset seizures. In a 19-week clinical trial, Lamictal XR significantly reduced seizures...