The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update articles from March 2005

The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update archives from March 2005

Alzheimer's disease: are two drugs better than one?(Advances In Alzheimer's)
March 1, 2005... Even as Alzheimer's disease steals patients' memories, abilities and personalities, clinicians remain frustrated by available remedies for it. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors comprised the only FDA-approved treatments until memantine's...

The challenges of vascular dementia: diagnosis, risks and treatments.(At A Glance)
March 1, 2005... Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second leading cause of dementia in the elderly, behind Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, due to various factors, including diagnostic heterogeneity among VaD subtypes, no specific treatments have been identified...

Dystonia and gabapentin.(Drug-Drug Interactions)
March 1, 2005... Gabapentin (Neurontin) is an anticonvulsant structurally related to the central nervous system neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, and approved for use in decreasing seizure frequency in patients with partial seizure. It has also been...

Injury risk and new benzodiazepine use.(What's New In Research)
March 1, 2005... While benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of injury in the elderly, previous trials have lacked the study power to identify risks associated with individual benzodiazepines and drug-specific dose regimens. A prospective...

Donepezil for tardive dyskinesia in the elderly.(What's New In Research)
March 1, 2005... The results of a preliminary openlabel study published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggest that the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil (Aricept) could be effective for the treatment of tardive movement disorders...

Fluoxetine assessed for dysthymic disorder in geriatric patients.(What's New In Research)
March 1, 2005... Researchers suggest that treatments effective for young adult dysthymic patients may not be effective for this condition in elderly patients. In a 12-week randomized, double-blind study published in the January issue of the American Journal of...

Weight loss and dementia.(News Notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The course of weight loss associated with dementia continues to be unclear. Researchers considered data collected over 32 years from men participating in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (1,890 men ages 77-98 years, 112 with incident dementia and...

Top 10 issues facing pharma in 2005.(News Notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Assistant U.S. Attorney General has estimated that over 500 drugs are currently under investigation by state and federal prosecutors, and experts have offered 10 key predictions for pharmaceutical enforcement in 2005: 1. Scrutiny of...

Galantamine safety under review.(News Notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The drug maker Johnson & Johnson recently announced that health authorities are reviewing safety data surrounding two exploratory studies evaluating galantamine (Reminyl) in patients with mild cognitive impairment. The drug is not approved for...

BTX-A for SSRI-induced dystonia.(Case Report)
March 1, 2005... Patient: Male, 77 y/o Medications: fluoxetine (Prozac), modafinil (Provigil), sildenafil (Viagra), botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) Comment: A 77-year-old, right-handed man presented with 1-month history of new-onset abnormal facial...

Zyprexa and Zyrtec prescribing/dispensing errors.(From the FDA)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Eli Lilly and the FDA notified healthcare professionals of reports of medication dispensing or prescribing errors between the atypical antipsychotic Zyprexa (olanzapine), indicated for the short-term and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia...

Lithium (generic): eskalith, lithobid, and others (brand).(Your Medication Information)
March 1, 2005... CLASSIFICATION: Mood stabilizer. COMMON USAGE: Lithium is indicated for the treatment of bipolar disorder. It is also sometimes used to treat eating disorders and some movement disorders. IMPORTANT SIDE EFFECTS: Fine hand tremor,...