geriatric psychiatry | CARLAT PUBLISHING

RESEARCH UPDATE

Less Sleep Correlated with Dementia

October 1, 2022

Talya Shahal, MD. Dr. Shahal, author of this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

This study supports an association between short sleep duration in middle life and an increasedrisk of dementia.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Can Pimavanserin Treat Psychosis in Patients With Dementia?

October 1, 2022

James Black, MD

James Black, MD. Dr. Black, author of this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

This study suggests that patients started on pimavanserin for dementia and psychosis should probably continue it to prevent relapse, but we will need more data for clarity given flaws in the study design.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Trazodone Probably Not Effective for Dementia

October 1, 2022

Susan L. Siegfreid, MD

Susan L. Siegfreid, MD. Dr. Siegfreid, author of this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

This study revealed no signal that trazodone protects against neurodegeneration.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Do White Matter Hyperintensities Predict Memory Loss with Electroconvulsive Therapy?

October 1, 2022

Dax Volle, MD

Dax Volle, MD. Dr. Volle, author of this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

We can continue to recommend ECT to patients with severe white matter hyperintensities and cognitive impairment, as cognition seems to return to baseline following ECT.

EXPERT Q&A

Assessing Suicide Risk in the Older Adult

October 1, 2022

Yeates Conwell, MD

Professor, vice-chair, and co-director at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide and director of the geriatric psychiatry program, University of Rochester, NY. Director, Office for Aging Research and Health Services, University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Conwell, expert for this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Dr. Yeates Conwell discusses how to assess suicide risk and provides examples on how to intervene.

CLINICAL UPDATE

The 3 Ds of Geriatric Psychiatry: Depression, Delirium, and Dementia

July 1, 2022

Rachel Meyen, MD

Rachel Meyen, MD. Outpatient geriatric psychiatrist, General Mental Health Clinic, Sacramento VA Medical Center, Mather, CA. Dr. Meyen, author of this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Symptoms of dementia, delirium, and depression in older adults may overlap, and these disorders often occur simultaneously. We learn how to disentangle these three illnesses through screeners and medical work-up, and how to optimize their management.

EXPERT Q&A

Benzodiazepines in Older Adults

April 1, 2022

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD

Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Dr. Aiken specializes in mood disorders and works with older adults in private practice. Dr. Aiken has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The best evidence for benzodiazepines in the elderly is in panic disorder, followed by phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines are also the mainstay of treating catatonia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and alcohol withdrawal

How to Interview the Older Patient

January 1, 2022

Rehan Aziz, MD. Inpatient geriatric psychiatry, Hackensack-Meridian Health, Perth Amboy, NJ. Dr. Aziz has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The expanding population of older adults has created a need for all clinicians to participate in their care. Interviewing techniques require adaptation in older adults, such as accounting for hearing or vision impairment and speaking slowly and clearly. This article will cover additional factors to consider when evaluating older patients.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Six Tips for Working With Older Adults

March 26, 2021

Rehan Aziz, MD.

Rehan Aziz, MD. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Aziz has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Rehan Aziz, MD, explains how to interview older adults and which medications to use and which ones to avoid in this population.

More evidence that antipsychotics are dangerous in dementia

July 1, 2007

Jesse H. Wright, MD

Jesse H. Wright, MD. Professor and Chief of Adult Psychiatry, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Co-author, Learning Cognitive Behavior Therapy: An Illustrated Guide.

Dr. Wright has disclosed that he receives royalities from books he has written about cognitive behavioral therapy.

In 2005, the FDA issued a health advisory saying that antipsychotics appear to increase the risk of death in elderly patients with dementia. That advisory was based on data from placebo-controlled trials of antipsychotics conducted by industry. Now, a new study based on a completely different, and much larger, dataset, appears to confirm these dangers.