Olanzapine therapy in elderly patients with schizophrenia
| Autor: | Debra Brescan, Luis F. Ramirez, Martha Sajatovic, Dalia Perez |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1999 |
| Předmět: |
Olanzapine
Male medicine.medical_specialty medicine.drug_class medicine.medical_treatment Population Atypical antipsychotic Tardive dyskinesia Benzodiazepines Internal medicine Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale Medicine Humans Prospective Studies education Antipsychotic Aged Aged 80 and over education.field_of_study business.industry Pirenzepine medicine.disease Barnes Akathisia Scale Psychiatry and Mental health Schizophrenia Female Geriatrics and Gerontology business medicine.drug Antipsychotic Agents |
| Zdroj: | Psychopharmacology bulletin. 34(4) |
| ISSN: | 0048-5764 |
| Popis: | Compared to young adults, elderly individuals with schizophrenia may have a six-fold increase in the prevalence of tardive dyskinesia. The atypical antipsychotic, olanzapine, may offer particular benefit for this population. This is a prospective, open-label trial of olanzapine therapy in elderly schizophrenic patients. Individuals aged 65 years or older with DSM-IV schizophrenia and a history of neuroleptic responsiveness were given olanzapine as an add-on therapy to their existing medication regimen. Other antipsychotic medication was gradually discontinued. Psychopathology was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Abnormal movements were assessed with the Simpson-Angus Neurological Rating Scale (SA), the Barnes Akathisia Scale (BA), and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). Cognitive status was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Evaluation (MMSE). Twenty-seven individuals received a mean dosage of 8.4 (+/- 4.2) mg/day. Mean age of the group was 70.6 (+/- 4.1) with a range of 65 to 80 years. Patients had a mean of 1.6 (+/- 1.4) significant comorbid medical illnesses. Change in BPRS scores were not significant for the group as a whole, whereas SA score change was substantial, with a pre-treatment mean of 13.7 (+/- 10.3), compared with a mean of 4.8 (+/- 4.1) for those treated with olanzapine (p < .0002). Changes in AIMS and BA score were also significant on olanzapine therapy. MMSE score change was not statistically significant. Comorbid medical illnesses were not adversely affected. Olanzapine is an effective antipsychotic medication in older adults with schizophrenia, and is associated with significant improvement in extrapyramidal side effects. Implications for effect on cognitive status should be explored in larger, long-term trials. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|