The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update articles from December 2002

The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update archives from December 2002

Tricyclic antidepressants used to treat non-psychiatric symptoms in nursing home residents. (Antidepressants).
December 1, 2002... Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are no longer considered first-line treatment for depression in geriatric patients, in large part due to their anticholinergic side effects. However, their use is still widespread, with some studies finding that...

Perphenazine may raise nortriptyline levels, with potential for adverse effects. (Drug-Drug Interactions).
December 1, 2002... It is not uncommon for psychiatric patients to have concurrent psychotic and depressive symptoms, and more patients with psychotic depression respond to a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics than to antipsychotic monotherapy. (1)...

Melatonin not found to be effective in patients with sleep disturbance and dementia.
December 1, 2002... A recent study conducted by Marc Serfaty, BSc, MBChB, MRCPsych, MPhil, BABCP, of Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, and colleagues found no evidence that two weeks of melatonin administration is helpful in improving...

HRT may reduce risk of AD. (Clinical Notes).
December 1, 2002... A prospective study examining the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a sample of 1,357 men and 1,889 women found that prior hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with reduced risk of developing AD in older women. Based on data...

Coenzyme Q10 evaluated for Parkinson's disease.
December 1, 2002... A group of researchers evaluated the safety and tolerability of a range of doses of coenzyme Q10 and tested its efficacy in slowing the functional decline associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Coenzyme Q10 is the electron acceptor for...

FDA approves aripiprazole to treat schizophrenia.
December 1, 2002... A new drug, aripiprazole (Abilify), was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia. In clinical studies involving 1,238 patients, aripiprazole was associated with improvement in both positive and negative symptoms of...

ECT effective, associated with adverse effects.
December 1, 2002... Researchers from Norway reviewed 239 consecutive first admissions of geriatric patients, with depression (unipolar, bipolar and other), 52 of whom had received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in order to evaluate the short-term outcome and...

Case report: depressive symptoms worsen when switching from TCA to SSRI.
December 1, 2002... A 68-year-old woman with a history of recurrent major depressive disorder was admitted due to a new depressive episode. She had been hospitalized five times in the previous five years since her first episode of major depression. She was started...

Diagnosing and treating depression in the elderly: Canadian Academy for Geriatric Psychiatry meeting.
December 1, 2002... The very first gathering of the Canadian Academy for Geriatric Psychiatry took place recently during the Canadian Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Banff, Alberta. The new group presented an update on geriatric psychiatry for community...

Visual association test may diagnose early AD. (News Updates).
December 1, 2002... Researchers have found that a visual association test (VAT) can help differentiate early Alzheimer's disease from other forms of dementia. The test is based on imagery mnemonics, and poor results are relatively uncommon in patients with...

Novel anxiolytic effective in Phase II trial. (News Updates).
December 1, 2002... DOV Pharmaceutical recently announced positive efficacy and safety results of a Phase II trial of ocinaplon, a novel anti-anxiety agent being investigated for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The trial compared two...

Sertraline contraindicated with concomitant pimozide. (News Updates).
December 1, 2002... Pfizer Inc. and the FDA recently released a "Dear Doctor" letter for sertraline (Zoloft), indicating that it should not be used in combination with the antipsychotic drug pimozide (Orap). The labeling for sertraline has been changed to reflect...

[check] Pseudothrombocytopenia with olanzapine. (Case Report).
December 1, 2002... # Patients: 1 male (74 y/o) Medications: olanzapine (Zyprexa), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), flupentixol (Fluanxol) and others Comments: A 74-year-old man without a prior history or family history of thrombocytopenia, bleeding disorder,...

Paroxetine (generic)~Paxil (brand) paroxetine controlled release (generic)~paxil CR (brand). (Your Medication Information).
December 1, 2002... Classification: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Common Usage: Paroxetine is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). ...