The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update articles from November 2007

The Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update archives from November 2007

Paroxetine found to maintain quality of life in elderly patients with depression.(Depression)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... precis * A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled maintenance trial found paroxetine superior to placebo in maintaining well-being and social functioning in elderly patients (mean age 77 years) who had recovered from major depression...

Meta-analysis shows benefit of pharmacotherapy for elderly with GAD.(Anxiety Disorder)
November 1, 2007... precis * A comparative meta-analysis of 32 studies of treatments for older adults with anxiety disorders receiving either pharmacotherapy or behavioral interventions was conducted * Both pharmacological and behavioral interventions are...

Valproic acid and quetiapine: possible case of cervical dystonia.(Drug-Drug Interactions)
November 1, 2007... The pharmacological profile of the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine (Seroquel) includes high affinity binding to 5-HT2A receptor and low affinity binding for D2 receptor. This accounts for a lower incidence of extrapyramidal side effects...

Long-term effects of memantine in Alzheimer's disease.(11th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies)
November 1, 2007... Memantine, a noncompetitive, moderate affinity, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-receptor antagonist, was reported to be safe and well tolerated, demonstrating better long-term cognitive and functional performance in patients with moderate to...

Effects of galantamine in Alzheimer's disease.(11th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies)
November 1, 2007... Galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChI) and nicotinic receptor modulator, was reported to be efficacious and well tolerated in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) who had previously not tolerated or responded...

Maintaining quality of life in old age: the value of long-term antidepressant treatment.
November 1, 2007... Older adults report poorer health-related quality of life (QOL) with advanced age, particularly after 75 (Bowling et al., 1999), and major depression, among other chronic conditions, is one of the main culprits (Bruce et al., 1994; Lenze et...

Phase II Gammagard study shows promise for treating AD.(News Note)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Baxter International and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) Group announced a multicenter Phase III study investigating Gammagard Liquid for the treatment of mild to moderate AD. The decision to proceed is based on the promising...

Risk of hyponatremia in elderly patients taking multiple psychotropic medications.(Case Report)
November 1, 2007... Patient: Male, 76 years old Medications: Escitalopram (Lexapro); quetiapine (Seroquel); citalopram (Celexa) Case: The patient had been admitted to a geriatric rehabilitation unit following a partial hip replacement due to a fracture....

FDA announces launch of Drug Safety Newsletter.(From the FDA)
November 1, 2007... The FDA has launched a Drug Safety Newsletter to provide post-marketing information to healthcare professionals, raise awareness of reported adverse events, and stimulate adverse-event reporting. The first issue is available online at:...

First-time generic approvals.(From the FDA)
November 1, 2007... * Final approval was granted July 31, 2007 for first-time generic escitalopram capsules in 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg doses, manufactured by Alphapharm Pty. Ltd. The reference listed drug is Lexapro. [www.fda.gov/cder/ ogd/approvals/1stgen0707.htm]....

Escitalopram (generic): Lexapro (brand).(YOUR MEDICATION INFORMATION)
November 1, 2007... CLASSIFICATION: Escitalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). COMMON USAGE: Escitalopram is indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The safety and efficacy of...