Are there any news about the antipsychotic medications in the elderly?
Antipsychotic drugs are widely used in people with dementia to treat neuropsychiatic symptoms such as aggression, agitation and psychosis. Using antipsychotic agents in older patients is difficult, because it depends on co-morbid conditions, side effects, dosing strategies, duration of treatments and combinations of various medications. This paper discusses the use of atypical antipsychotics in a 1-year-observation on a group of patients followed by an expert dementia center.
Cucinotta
D
D
Department of Internal Medicine, Aging and Nephrological Diseases, School of Geriatrics, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Via Albertoni, 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. cucinotta@aosp.bo.it <cucinotta@aosp.bo.it>
Minardi
M
M
Lanfranchi
G
G
Reggiani
A
A
Savorani
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents