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Guidelines for prescribing psychoactive drugs in the elderly: Part 2
G Maletta1, K M Mattox, M Dysken
1Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis.
Geriatrics
|September 1, 1991
Summary
This guide offers prescribing advice for antipsychotics and other psychoactive drugs to manage behavioral issues in elderly patients with dementia. Focus is on selecting medications based on side effect profiles for emotional dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed for behavioral disturbances in patients with dementia.
- Drug selection among antipsychotics typically relies on differentiating side effect profiles, as their core mechanisms are theoretically similar.
- This article addresses prescribing guidelines for various psychoactive agents used in elderly patients experiencing emotional dysfunction.
Framework:
- Provides evidence-based prescribing guidelines for managing emotional dysfunction in the elderly.
- Focuses on antipsychotics and other psychotropic agents, including stimulants, lithium, carbamazepine, propranolol HCl, and buspirone HCl.
- Complements a previous article (page 40) that covered benzodiazepines and antidepressants.
Implementation:
- Offers practical guidance for clinicians treating elderly patients with behavioral and emotional issues.
- Emphasizes a systematic approach to drug selection based on individual patient profiles and side effect considerations.
- Aims to optimize pharmacotherapy for emotional dysfunction in a vulnerable geriatric population.
Implications:
- Aims to improve the safe and effective use of psychoactive medications in elderly patients with dementia.
- Supports evidence-based practice in geriatric psychopharmacology, focusing on minimizing adverse effects.
- Contributes to better management of behavioral problems and emotional dysfunction in the elderly population.