Exploring the affective toxicity of commonly prescribed medications in the elderly

Adverse effects of medications that occur at low frequency or low severity are often not detected in the current framework of drug approval and monitoring. Of particular concern are potential behavioral consequences such as depression or cognitive dysfunction that may occur from commonly prescribed medications. This study explores the use of measuring daily affect, both positive and negative, as a method for detecting clinically relevant affective toxicity from medications commonly prescribed to older adults. Findings from this study suggest that metoclopramide may have the potential for causing significant changes in affect among healthy elderly adults. This may suggest that more vulnerable or disabled adults may be at even greater risk for affective changes related to this medication.