The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update articles from November 2003

The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update archives from November 2003

How useful are cholinergic therapies for Alzheimer's disease?(Expert Examines Histoy of AChE Research)
November 1, 2003... More than 25 years ago, researchers reported consistent and significant changes in the cholinergic system of Alzheimer's patients, suggesting that the loss of cholinergic neurons, particularly in the basal forebrain and neocortex, results in...

Study projects Alzheimer's disease in U.S. could triple by 2050.(Alzheimer's Disease)
November 1, 2003... About 13.2 million older Americans will suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) by 2050, a three-fold increase from current figures, unless new ways are found to prevent or treat the disease, according to estimates published in the Archives of...

Phenytoin/carbamazapine switch may cause hypersensitivity.(Drug-Drug Interactions)(Dilantin, phenobarbital, and Tegretol interaction)
November 1, 2003... Anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital, and carbamazepine (Tegretol) have been reported to cause hypersensitivity syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal adverse drug reaction. (1) Nevertheless, less is reported about the...

Risperidone vs. olanzapine for psychosis in older patients.(Clinical Notes)
November 1, 2003... Researchers at the Lilly Research Laboratories recently compared the efficacy of risperidone (Risperdal) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) in controlling negative and positive symptoms of chronic psychosis in older patients. Both treatments controlled...

Antidepressants can increase post-stroke survival.(Clinical Notes)
November 1, 2003... The relationship between poststroke depression and mortality was examined in a recent long-term, follow-up study of patients who received antidepressants within six months after suffering a stroke. In the initial double-blind, placebo...

APOE genotype and antidepressant efficacy.(Clinical Notes)(apoliproprotein E)
November 1, 2003... Pharmacogenetics, an expanding field that seeks to identify DNA markers associated with differential responses to medication, may eventually allow treatments to be tailored to individual patients. Investigators recently examined whether...

Benztropine (generic) ~ Cogentin (brand).(Your Medication Information)
November 1, 2003... Classification: Anticholinergic agent. Common Usage: Benztropine is indicated as an adjunctive therapy in all forms of Parkinson's disease. It is also used to help manage extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) due to neuroleptic drug use. ...

New treatment for Parkinson's.(News Updates)(Stalevo from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... On September 17th, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced the availability of a new treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). The combination of levodopa, carbidopa and entacapone (Stalevo)--the first new treatment for Parkinson's disease...

Novel public-private consortium for Alzheimer's research.(News Updates)(Alzheimer's Association, the Institute for the Study of Aging, Pfizer Inc., and others form consortium)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Alzheimer's Association, the Institute for the Study of Aging, and Pfizer Inc. are among the founding members of a public-private consortium designed to combat Alzheimer's disease. The consortium is interested in developing new research...

FDA recommends memantine for approval for AD.(News Updates)(memantine (Namenda) Alzheimer's agent )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drug Advisory Committee of the FDA has unanimously recommended that the agency approve the investigational drug memantine (Namenda) for treatment of moderate to severe Aizheimer's disease. Memantine,...

Risperidone for Charles Bonnet Syndrome.(Case Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... # Patients: 1 female (57 y/o) Medications: risperidone (Risperdal) Comments: A 57 year-old woman with diabetes mellitus, diagnosed at age 50 with major depressive disorder that was treated successfully with amoxapine 50 mg daily for two...