Antipsychotics Increase Mortality Risk in Patients with Parkinsonās Disease
A new study in JAMA Neurology finds that the use of antipsychotic drugs more than doubled the risk of death in patients with Parkinsonās...
New Data on the Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness
Study reports on the less-examined findings of difficult and painful meditation-related experiences.
The Monster in Our House: What Psychiatric Medication Did to My Father
When we eliminated his last psychotropic prescription, it was as if my father came back from the dead. All of the monster-like qualities that we thought were severe symptoms of his dementia have practically disappeared. Weāve found ourselves questioning whether he has dementia at all.
Depression Linked to Dementia in Later Life
A retrospective study of 13,535 long-term Kaiser Permanente members found that depressive symptoms in mid-life (1964-1973 for this cohort) were associated with a 20%...
Antidepressant Use Linked to Dementia
A new study finds that elderly individuals using antidepressants are at significantly higher risk for dementia compared to depressed individuals who did not take the drugs.
Veterans with both PTSD and Dementia More Likely to be Prescribed Antipsychotics
Researchers found that veterans with both conditions had higher odds of being prescribed second-generation antipsychotics than those presenting with just PTSD.
Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes Causing Many Adverse Effects in Elderly
A literature review found that the extensive off-label use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes is causing many adverse effects and providing limited benefits.
Research Is Shedding New Light on Hearing Voices
FromĀ Psychology Today: AlthoughĀ auditory hallucinations areĀ commonly thought of as a sign of mental illness, research shows that hearing voices is common among the general population...
Medical Conditions in the Elderly Often Misdiagnosed as Psychiatric
27 (24%) of 112Ā geriatric patients admitted consecutively to an inpatient psychiatric unit had delirium from underlying medical conditions that was misdiagnosed as a psychiatric...
BPS Releases Review of Alternatives to Antipsychotics
BPS releases report encouraging behavioral interventions for people with dementia, rather than antipsychotics
Old Dogs Do Have Trouble Learning New Tricks — Can They Teach Us About...
-University of Kentucky's Elizabeth Head discusses her research into learning in elderly beagles who, unlike mice and rats, can seemingly develop dementia like humans.
AARP Joins Antipsychotic Lawsuit Against CA Nursing Home
The AARP has joined an "unprecedented class-action lawsuit" against a California nursing home accused of using antipsychotics without informed consent from residents or family...
Can Cultural Engagement Protect Against Depression?
A new study examines the preventative effects of cultural engagement has on depression among older adults.
Review Reinforces Social Connection as Protective Health Factor
Is a lack of social connection in the US harmful to health? In a review of social connection and health literature, researcher calls for a societal shift in values towards interdependence.
Evidence Strengthening that Common Benzodiazepine Sedatives May Cause Dementia
A meta-analysis of studies found that the risk of dementia increased 22% for every additional twenty daily doses of benzodiazepine medications annually.
Psychotropics Accelerate Cognitive and Functional Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins, The Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Duke and others found in a study of 230 Alzheimer's patients tracked over four...
PTSD and Psychiatric Medication Linked to Dementia in Older Veterans
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and taking SSRIs, novel antidepressants, or atypical antipsychotics are more likely to develop dementia.
Nonclinical Factors are Associated with Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults
White race and size of initial prescription, along with poor sleep quality, are associated with long-term benzodiazepine use in older adults.
Benzodiazepines Linked to Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s: Causation or Not?
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, benzodiazepine use is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimerās disease. Some experts...
Training Nursing Home Staff in Understanding Needs Can Reduce Antipsychotic Use
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the largest study of its kind, has shown it is possible to reduce the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes, by engaging their staff in a training program designed to target residentsā strengths and their unmet needs.
Antidepressant Use May Increase Risk of Hip Fractures in Older Adults
Study finds antidepressant use is linked to increase in hip fractures in community-dwelling older adults with and without Alzheimerās disease.
Risk of Death in the Elderly Trebled With Antipsychotics
In a nine-year study of all 2,224 residents of LeppƤvirta, Finland who were 65 years old or older, researchers found that the 332 residents...
$1 Billion J&J Settlement Rejected as Insufficient
Federal prosecutors have rejected as insufficient the $1 billion settlement reached two months ago between Johnson & Johnson and prosecutors in Philadelphia to resolve...
Assessing Increased Mortality Risks of Antipsychotics and Mood Stabilizers in Dementia
An article in January'sĀ American Journal of PsychiatryĀ weighs the relative risk of mortality associated with various antipsychotics and mood stabilizers used in the treatment of...
Lack of Face-to-Face Contact Doubles Depression Risk for Older Adults
New research suggests that more frequent in-person contact lessens the risk of depression in older adults. The study, published in this monthās issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, found that in Americans over fifty the more face-to-face contact they had with children, family and friends, the less likely they were to develop depressive symptoms.
