PMID: 9193964May 1, 1997Paper

Outcome of clozapine therapy for elderly patients with refractory primary psychosis

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
M SajatovicL F Ramirez

Abstract

The objective was to analyze outcome of clozapine therapy in elderly patients with treatment refractory primary psychosis. This was an open-label clozapine trial in elderly patients. Patient psychopathology was assessed before and after clozapine therapy. A psychiatry service at a large urban/suburban Veterans Administration Medical Center. Inpatients and outpatients age 65 years or older with primary psychotic disorders established to be resistant to conventional antipsychotic therapy (Kane et al., 1988). Ten patients met study inclusion criteria out of a total of 134 patients receiving clozapine at the Cleveland VAMC (7.5%). Mean age of the group was 70.6 years. Patients were rated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS; Overall and Gorham, 1962). Additional data on patient demographics, comorbid non-psychiatric diagnoses and concurrent psychotropic medication were collected via chart review. Mean clozapine dosage was 204 mg/day for a mean duration of 430 days. 7/10 patients had some degree of clinical improvement and 3/10 patients had significant improvement documented by BPRS change of 20% or greater. Patients had a mean of 1.4 comorbid physical illnesses, which were not worsened by clozapine therapy. 4/10 patients d...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 1, 2006·Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment·Philip E LeePaula Rochon
Jul 31, 1999·Comprehensive Psychiatry·Y BarakA Weizman
May 30, 2006·The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy·Juliette Taylor TouréBecky A Briesacher

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