title: Pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder in old age: review and recommendations.
abstract: The authors reviewed the evidence-base for pharmacological treatment of mania and bipolar (BP) depression in late life. Treatment benefits and side effects may be modified by age-associated factors, such as neurocognitive impairments. Lithium and divalproex have most often been studied in elderly patients, and both may be efficacious in acute treatment of mania, but there are no controlled efficacy or effectiveness trials. The role of atypical antipsychotic agents remains to be clarified. Similarly, there are no systematic studies of the treatment of BP depression in elderly patients. The authors make suggestions for management and delineate priorities for research.
authors.affiliation: Payne-Whitney, Westchester, and the Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, New York 10605, USA. ryoung@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gyulai
authors.forename: Benoit H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Mulsant
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Kenneth I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate