Biomaterial Database

Antipsychotic drugs and the elderly. 1986

M A Raskind, and S C Risse

Antipsychotic agents can be useful in the treatment of elderly patients who manifest psychotic signs and symptoms. Geropsychiatric disorders in which these drugs may be indicated include chronic schizophrenia persisting into late life, paraphrenia, dementia, and delirium. Unfortunately, antipsychotic drugs are more difficult to use in elderly patients than in younger psychotic patients. A clearly positive clinical response is less likely to occur in elderly patients, particularly in those who have an underlying dementia. In addition, the incidence of adverse effects in elderly patients is high. However, if these cautions are kept in mind, the clinician can select the appropriate antipsychotic based on a patient's particular medical status and, thus, reduce the patient's disability and enhance the patient's quality of life.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007024	Hypotension, Orthostatic	A significant drop in BLOOD PRESSURE after assuming a standing position. Orthostatic hypotension is a finding, and defined as a 20-mm Hg decrease in systolic pressure or a 10-mm Hg decrease in diastolic pressure 3 minutes after the person has risen from supine to standing. Symptoms generally include DIZZINESS, blurred vision, and SYNCOPE.	Hypotension, Postural,Orthostatic Hypotension,Postural Hypotension
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010259	Paranoid Disorders	Chronic mental disorders in which there has been an insidious development of a permanent and unshakeable delusional system (persecutory delusions or delusions of jealousy), accompanied by preservation of clear and orderly thinking. Emotional responses and behavior are consistent with the delusional state.	Paranoia,Paranoid Psychoses,Psychoses, Paranoid,Disorder, Paranoid,Disorders, Paranoid,Paranoias,Paranoid Disorder
D011379	Prognosis	A prediction of the probable outcome of a disease based on a individual's condition and the usual course of the disease as seen in similar situations.	Prognostic Factor,Prognostic Factors,Factor, Prognostic,Factors, Prognostic,Prognoses
D011618	Psychotic Disorders	Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994)	Psychoses,Psychosis, Brief Reactive,Schizoaffective Disorder,Schizophreniform Disorders,Psychosis,Brief Reactive Psychoses,Brief Reactive Psychosis,Disorder, Psychotic,Disorder, Schizoaffective,Disorder, Schizophreniform,Disorders, Psychotic,Disorders, Schizoaffective,Disorders, Schizophreniform,Psychoses, Brief Reactive,Psychotic Disorder,Reactive Psychoses, Brief,Reactive Psychosis, Brief,Schizoaffective Disorders,Schizophreniform Disorder
D003693	Delirium	A disorder characterized by CONFUSION; inattentiveness; disorientation; ILLUSIONS; HALLUCINATIONS; agitation; and in some instances autonomic nervous system overactivity. It may result from toxic/metabolic conditions or structural brain lesions. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp411-2)	Delirium of Mixed Origin,Subacute Delirium,Delirium, Subacute,Deliriums, Subacute,Mixed Origin Delirium,Mixed Origin Deliriums,Subacute Deliriums
D003702	Delusions	A false belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that persists despite the facts, and is not considered tenable by one's associates.	Delusion
D003704	Dementia	An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness.	Senile Paranoid Dementia,Amentia,Familial Dementia,Amentias,Dementia, Familial,Dementias,Dementias, Familial,Dementias, Senile Paranoid,Familial Dementias,Paranoid Dementia, Senile,Paranoid Dementias, Senile,Senile Paranoid Dementias
D005260	Female		Females