Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1993 Nov;39:2420–2426.

Le traitement de la dépression chez les personnes âgées. L'utilité des psychostimulants.

Treatment of depression in the elderly. The use of psychostimulants

M Arcand 1, P Hottin 1
PMCID: PMC2379921  PMID: 8268747

Abstract

Classical treatment of depression in the elderly is often complicated by side effects and delayed therapeutic effect. After reviewing the literature and their clinical experiences, the authors suggest several acceptable indications for the use of psychostimulants in the elderly, especially when the depression is associated with a serious physical illness.

Full text

PDF
2420

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Askinazi C., Weintraub R. J., Karamouz N. Elderly depressed females as a possible subgroup of patients responsive to methylphenidate. J Clin Psychiatry. 1986 Sep;47(9):467–469. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bluestone C. D. Current therapy for otitis media and criteria for evaluation of new antimicrobial agents. Clin Infect Dis. 1992 Jun;14 (Suppl 2):S197–S211. doi: 10.1093/clinids/14.supplement_2.s197. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chiarello R. J., Cole J. O. The use of psychostimulants in general psychiatry. A reconsideration. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987 Mar;44(3):286–295. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800150110013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clark A. N., Mankikar G. D. d-Amphetamine in elderly patients refractory to rehabilitation procedures. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1979 Apr;27(4):174–177. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1979.tb06442.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DUBE A. H., OSGOOD C. K., NOTKIN H. The effects of an analeptic (ritalin), an ataraxic (reserpine), and a placebo in senile states. J Chronic Dis. 1957 Feb;5(2):220–234. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(57)90137-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fernandez F., Adams F., Holmes V. F., Levy J. K., Neidhart M. Methylphenidate for depressive disorders in cancer patients. An alternative to standard antidepressants. Psychosomatics. 1987 Sep;28(9):455–461. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(87)72476-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gurian B., Rosowsky E. Low-dose methylphenidate in the very old. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 1990 Jul-Sep;3(3):152–154. doi: 10.1177/089198879000300305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kaplitz S. E. Withdrawn, apathetic geriatric patients responsive to methylphenidate. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1975 Jun;23(6):271–276. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1975.tb00317.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Katon W., Raskind M. Treatment of depression in the medically ill elderly with methylphenidate. Am J Psychiatry. 1980 Aug;137(8):963–965. doi: 10.1176/ajp.137.8.963. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kaufmann M. W., Murray G. B., Cassem N. H. Use of psychostimulants in medically ill depressed patients. Psychosomatics. 1982 Aug;23(8):817–819. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(82)73080-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kennedy S. H., Joffe R. T. Pharmacological management of refractory depression. Can J Psychiatry. 1989 Jun;34(5):451–456. doi: 10.1177/070674378903400517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lingam V. R., Lazarus L. W., Groves L., Oh S. H. Methylphenidate in treating poststroke depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 1988 Apr;49(4):151–153. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Masand P., Pickett P., Murray G. B. Psychostimulants for secondary depression in medical illness. Psychosomatics. 1991 Spring;32(2):203–208. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(91)72093-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Odio C. M., Kusmiesz H., Shelton S., Nelson J. D. Comparative treatment trial of augmentin versus cefaclor for acute otitis media with effusion. Pediatrics. 1985 May;75(5):819–826. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pickett P., Masand P., Murray G. B. Psychostimulant treatment of geriatric depressive disorders secondary to medical illness. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 1990 Jul-Sep;3(3):146–151. doi: 10.1177/089198879000300304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rademaker C. M., Sips A. P., Beumer H. M., Hoepelman I. M., Overbeek B. P., Möllers M. J., Rozenberg-Arska M., Verhoef J. A double-blind comparison of low-dose ofloxacin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1990 Nov;26 (Suppl 500):75–81. doi: 10.1093/jac/26.suppl_d.75. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rodin G., Voshart K. Depression in the medically ill: an overview. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Jun;143(6):696–705. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.6.696. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Warneke L. Psychostimulants in psychiatry. Can J Psychiatry. 1990 Feb;35(1):3–10. doi: 10.1177/070674379003500102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Zeckel M. L. Loracarbef (LY163892) in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: results of U.S. and European comparative clinical trials. Am J Med. 1992 Jun 22;92(6A):58S–64S. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(92)90609-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES