Geriatrics News

About 5% to 10% of elderly patients have depression or depressive symptoms, according to a presentation by Jin Hui Joo, MA, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University, at Johns Hopkins Science Writers’ Boot Camp.

Patients with mild-to-moderate-Alzheimer’s disease receiving monotherapy with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors reported cognitive and physical improvements compared with those receiving a combination of memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, according to a meta-analysis presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. 

Different foods provided benefits associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and cognition, according to several abstracts presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Bryostatin, a compound that showed an ability to induce synaptogenesis and prevent neuronal death in pretrials, now shows potential as a modifier of Alzheimer’s disease in patients who were memantine-naive, according to data presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Patients at increased risk for CVD but without diabetes, who were treated to a systolic BP target of 120 mm Hg or less had significantly less risk for mild cognitive impairment as well as white matter lesion volume vs. their counterparts treated to a systolic BP of 140 mm Hg or less according to two separate abstracts presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Establishing that a patient has cognitive behavioral syndrome was the first priority in identifying new guidelines related to that syndrome, as well as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, according to data recently presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Among older adult patients in memory clinics, apathy was linked with an almost doubled risk for incident dementia, according to findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Study findings showed that 8 weeks of treatment with tianeptine 25 mg to 50 mg was effective and well-tolerated in adults aged 65 years or older with recurrent major depressive disorder.

Data published in Psychiatric Annals revealed that although benzodiazepines are FDA-indicated for short-term use in insomnia, long-term use in older adults should be avoided due to possible risks for serious adverse events.

Responses to audio and video stimuli were effective as a cognitive impairment screening tool, according to findings recently published in Scientific Reports.