The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudySafety and tolerability of oral paliperidone extended-release tablets in elderly patients with schizophrenia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with six-month open-label extension.
The objective of this multicenter, international study was to evaluate safety and tolerability of paliperidone extended-release (ER) tablets in elderly (age > or =65 years) patients with schizophrenia. The authors conducted a 6-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, optional 24-week open-label extension study. Interventions consisted of flexible, once-daily doses of paliperidone ER (3-12 mg/day; 6-mg starting dose, adjusted in 3-mg dose increments) or placebo (2:1) during double-blind treatment and paliperidone ER only during open-label treatment. Measurements included adverse events, laboratory tests, physical examinations, 12-lead electrocardiograms, movement disorder rating scales, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and Clinical Global Impression scale. The study was not powered to show statistical differences. ⋯ Paliperidone ER (3-12 mg/day) treatment over a 30-week period was generally well-tolerated and may improve symptom severity in elderly patients with schizophrenia.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Dec 2007
Comparative StudyDiagnostic criteria influence dementia prevalence.
The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of dementia using different diagnostic systems, and to investigate the influence of the different diagnostic components (memory impairment, personality changes, definition of other intellectual functions) on the prevalence. ⋯ Prevalence of dementia varied widely depending on diagnostic classification system used. For DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, ICD-10, and "historical" criteria, the definitions of personality changes and combinations of memory impairment lead to differing prevalence rates, whereas the definitions of other intellectual functions have little impact.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Dec 2007
Comparative StudyMental illness and use of home care nationally in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
To determine whether patients with mental health diagnoses are more likely to utilize home-based primary care (HBPC), and to identify characteristics associated with HBPC admission among elderly and nonelderly veterans, specifically. ⋯ Given that mental illness is independently associated with the likelihood of admission, it is critical that providers develop the skills and resources necessary to meet the psychiatric needs of home care recipients.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAripiprazole for the treatment of psychoses in institutionalized patients with Alzheimer dementia: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of three fixed doses.
To assess the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole for psychosis associated with Alzheimer dementia (AD). ⋯ Aripiprazole 10 mg/day was efficacious and safe for psychosis associated with AD, significantly improving psychotic symptoms, agitation, and clinical global impression. However, clinicians should be aware of the safety considerations of atypical antipsychotic uses in this population.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA double-blind comparison of citalopram and risperidone for the treatment of behavioral and psychotic symptoms associated with dementia.
To compare citalopram and risperidone for the treatment of psychotic symptoms and agitation associated with dementia, with a priori hypotheses that risperidone would be more efficacious for psychosis and citalopram for agitation. ⋯ No statistical difference was found in the efficacy of citalopram and risperidone for the treatment of either agitation or psychotic symptoms in patients with dementia. These findings need to be replicated before citalopram or other serotonergic antidepressants can be recommended as alternatives to antipsychotics for the treatment of agitation or psychotic symptoms associated with dementia.