Use of olanzapine for elderly patients with psychotic disorders: a review.
The number of elderly persons with psychosis will increase with the increasing geriatric population. Olanzapine is one of the newer atypical antipsychotics with efficacy for positive and negative symptoms and safer side effect profile compared to conventional antipsychotics. The manuscript describes the pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability studies, adverse effects and dosing considerations in the elderly. Further studies are needed to fully assess the efficacy and safety of olanzapine in the elderly. Current research supports a role for olanzapine in treating elderly patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Madhusoodanan
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, Far Rockaway, New York 11691, USA. sdanan@ehs.org
Sinha
S
S
Brenner
R
R
Gupta
S
S
Bogunovic
O
O
D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D006801:Humans; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010890:Pirenzepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D010890:Pirenzepine; D000077152:Olanzapine