Geriatric Psychiatry
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Transcript Geriatric Psychiatry
In the name of God
Geriatric Psychiatry
Mohamad Nadi . MD
Psychiatrist
Geriatric population increasing
2000, estimated that 13% of
Americans were over 65 years of age
By 2050, estimates are that 22% will
be over the age of 65, and 5% over
age 85.
The population is aging rapidly ; it is
a global phenomenon
Geriatric population increasing
Why is it a subspecialty?
Mental disorders may have different
manifestations, pathogenesis, and
pathophysiology from younger adults
Coexisting chronic medical illness
More medicines
Cognitive impairments
Increased risk for social stressors,
including retirement and widowhood
What Is Normal Aging?
Some bodily functions decline with age,
but health problems are not inevitable.
“Normal” aging must be differentiated
from disease.
notion of chronological age (“how old
are you?”) be abandoned, and instead
that the stages of aging be considered.
Age cut-offs are artificial and arbitrary.
Prevalence of Mental Illnesses
Prevalence of psychiatric disorder
(excluding dementia), was
considerably lower in elderly
compared younger adults.
Nearly 20 percent of persons older
than age 65 years have diagnosable
psychopathological symptoms.
The Aging Brain
Structural Changes
Neurochemical Changes
Changes in Cognitive and Motor Abilities
Structural Changes Associated
with Brain Aging
Decline of brain weight
Neuron loss
Neuronal atrophy
Synaptic loss
Pruning of dendritic trees
White matter changes
Gliosis
Neurochemical Changes in Aging
marked changes in dopaminergic
neurons
decrease in the levels of markers of
the cholinergic system
Changes in Motor Abilities
Gait slowing
Reaction time slowing
Balance changes (vestibular,
sensory, motor, and brain)
Changes in Cognitive Abilities
Mental speed
Executive function
Retrieval
Episodic memory vs procedural
memory
Free recall worse than recognition
Changes in Cognitive Abilities
Cognition includes learning, memory,
&. . .
Learning is the ability to gain new
skills and information. It may be
slower in elderly, especially verbal
learning.
Changes in Cognitive Abilities
Memory : immediate, short- and
long- term memory.
Immediate and Short-term memory
remain intact, however, there ar
affected by concentration which may
be less in older adults.
Long-term memory is most affected
by aging. Retrieval is less efficient;
the elderly need more cues
Prospects for Healthy Brain Aging
Control hypertension
Treat diabetes and vascular risk
factors
Mental activity
Cognitively demanding pastimes
Social networks
Prospects for Healthy Brain Aging
Regular physical activity
Diet : Similar components to a
heart-healthy diet
Relatively low fat and cholesterol
Anti-oxidant rich diet
Mental Disorders of old age
Most common : cognitive disorders ,
depressive disorders, substances use.
Risk factors include loss of social
roles, loss of autonomy, deaths,
declining health, increased isolation,
financial constraints, and decreased
cognitive functioning.
Mental Disorders of old age
Most common :
cognitive disorders
depressive disorders
substances use.
Cognitive Disorders
Include:
Delirium
Dementia
Amnestic Disorders
Psychiatric disorders due to a
Medical Condition
Postconcussional Syndrome
Delirium
Altered state of consciousness
(reduced awareness of and ability to
respond to the environment)
Cognitive deficits in attention,
concentration, thinking, memory, and
goal-directed behavior are almost
always present
Usually acute and fluctuating
Features of delirium
May be accompanied by
hallucinations, illusions, emotional
lability, alterations in the sleep-wake
cycle, psychomotor slowing or
hyperactivity
Features of delirium
Types:
Hyperactive , hyperalert delirium:
almost always consultation
Hypoactive, hypoalert delirium: no
consultation
Prevalence of delirium
The prevalence of delirium at hospital
admission ranges from 10 to 35 percent
Furthermore
prevalence increases with multiple factors
such as age, medication use, and
comorbidities
Delirium Prevalence in Multiple Settings
prevalence of
Population
delirium
Prevalence Range (%)
General medical inpatients
10–30
Medical and surgical inpatients
5–15
Critical care unit patients
16
Cardiac surgery inpatients
16–34
Orthopedic surgery patients
33
Emergency department
7–10
Terminally ill cancer patients
23–28
Institutionalized elderly
44
The mortality of Delirium
The mortality outcome at 6 months
post discharge for delirious patients
not identified was three times higher
than the delirious patients who were
identified and treated.
25 percent of delirius postoperative
patient had a lethal outcome; control
population 13%
Burden of Delirium
Increased
Increased
Increased
Increased
Increased
mortality
nursing care
length of stay
risk of cognitive decline
risk of functional decline
Burden of Delirium
Delay in postoperative mobilization
Prevention of early rehabilitation
Increased need for home care
services
Increased distress to caregivers
Barrier to psychosocial closure in
terminally ill patient
Etiologies of Delirium in Elderly
Patients
Systemic illnesses
Infections: Pneumonia, urinary
tract infection, sepsis, influenza
Cardiovascular conditions:
Arrhythmia, congestive heart failure,
myocardial infarction, severe
hypertension
Etiologies of Delirium in Elderly
Patients
Medications
Anticholinergics
Benzodiazepines, other sedativehypnotics (e.g., barbiturates)
Antiarrhythmics, Digoxin
Certain antibiotics (e.g.,
fluoroquinolones, clarithromycin)
Interferons
Etiologies of Delirium in Elderly
Patients
Primary brain diseases
Stroke or transient ischemic attack
Trauma: Brain injury, subdural
hematoma
Infection/inflammation: Abscess,
meningitis, encephalitis,
Etiologies of Delirium in Elderly
Patients
Metabolic derangements:
Dehydration, hypoxia, hypoglycemia,
hyperammonemia, uremia,
hyponatremia, thiamine deficiency,
hyperthyroidism
Etiologies of Delirium in Elderly
Patients
Surgery or trauma
Hip fracture repair
Open heart surgery (e.g., coronary artery
bypass grafting)
Withdrawal states
Alcohol
Benzodiazepines, other sedative-hypnotics
Treatment of delirium
Look for underlying cause
Close supervision, especially by family
Reorient frequently
Try not to use restraints, as it can
worsen confusion.
Treatment of delirium
Medication
Avoid polypharmacy
Low dose neuroleptic is treatment of
choice, unless the delirium is due to
withdrawal.
If due to withdrawal, use a longacting benzodiazepine.
Dementing Disorders
Only arthritis more common in
geriatric population
5% have severe dementia, and 15%
mild dementia in those over 65
Over 80, 20% have severe dementia
Dementing Disorders
Most common causes: Alzheimer’s
disease, vascular dementia,
alcoholism, and a combination of
these 3
Risk factors are age, family history,
and female sex
Dementia
Changes
Cognition, memory, language
Personality, abstract thinking,
aphasias
However, level of awareness and
alertness usually intact in early
stages (differentiates dementia from
delirium)
Noncognitive symptoms
accompanying dementia
Depressive disorder
Pathological laughter and crying
Irritability and explosiveness
Delusions or hallucinations occur
during the course of dementias in
nearly 75%
Behavior problems in dementia
Agitation, restlessness, wandering,
violence, shouting
Social and sexual disinhibition,
impulsiveness
Sleep disturbances
Dementia and treatable
conditions
10-15% from:
heart disease, renal disease, and
congestive heart failure
endocrine disorder, vitamin
deficiency,
medication misuse
primary mental disorders
Alzheimer’s Disease
50-60% of patients with dementia
5% of those who reach 65 have
Alzheimer’s Disease
15-25% of those 85 or older
More common in women
Alzheimer’s Disease
General sequence is memory,
language, then visuospatial functions
On autopsy: neurofibrillary tangles
and neuritic plaques
Involves cholinergic system arising in
basal forebrain
Death occurs in about 7 yrs
Vascular Dementia
Second most common type
Can reduce known risk factors:
hypertension, diabetes, cigarette
smoking, and arrhythmias
Other types of dementia
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by
multifocal lesions in the white matter.
May show early mood lability
Vitamin B12 deficiency--neurologic
changes may occur before
megaloblastic changes
Hypothyroidism
Wilson’s disease
Treatment of behavior problems
Consider the likelihood of depression
and anxiety first
Neuroleptics should not be first
choice, and should be on a “prn”
basis ,unless the patient is psychotic
Medicines for behavioral
problems
Valproic acid, trazodone, and
buspirone may be of benefit
BZDs may aggravate confusion
Drug treatment for Alzheimer’s
Disease
Most current ones affect
acetylcholine
Tacrine
Donepezil (Aricept)
Rivastigmine (Exelon)
Galantamine (Reminyl)
Early intervention may prevent or
slow decline
Depression
15% of all older adult community
residences and nursing home
patients
Accounts for 50% of older adult
admissions to a psychiatric facility
Age is not a risk factor, but
widowhood and chronic medical
illness are
Depression
May have more somatic complaints
such as decreased energy, sleep
problems, pain, weakness, GI
disturbances
Increases use of primary care
medical resources
Depression
For those with a medical condition,
depressive symptoms significantly
reduce survival
Increases risk of suicide
Depression in medical illness
Medicines or the medical illness may
cause depression
Rule out medical causes
Use psychological symptoms such as
hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt
Depression in older adults
May have delusions which are usually
persecutory or hypochondriacal in
nature
Need treatment with both an
antidepressant and an antipsychotic
ECT may be treatment of choice
Bereavement
Normal grief starts with shock,
proceeds to preoccupation, then to
resolution
May be prolonged in elderly, but
consider major depression if there is
marked psychomotor retardation,
lasts over 2 months, marked
impairment, or if suicidal ideation
Bipolar Disorder
Do organic workup if onset is over 65
Usually more irritable than euphoric,
and paranoid rather than grandiose
May have dysphoric mania, with
pressured speech, flight of ideas, and
hyperactivity, but thought content is
morbid and pessimistic
Schizophrenia
Usually before 45, but there is a late
onset type beginning after age 65
Paranoid type more common
Residual type occurs in 30% of those
affected: Emotional blunting, social
withdrawal, eccentric behavior, and
illogical thinking predominate
Delusional Disorder
Onset between 40 and 55
Persecutory or somatic delusions most
common
May be precipitated by stress, loss,
social isolation , visual impairment,
deafness, immigrant status
Anxiety Disorders
Very common in elderly
May occur first time after age 60, but
not usually
Most common are phobias, especially
agoraphobia
May be due to medical causes or
depression
Substances and Alcohol
Brain is more sensitive as ages
Due to changes in metabolism, a
given amount may produce a higher
blood level
May worsen normal changes in sleep
and sexual functioning
Sudden onset delirium in hospitalized
patients usually from withdrawal
Personality disorders
Borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic
personality disorders may become
less intense
Before diagnosing a personality
disorder, verify that it is not an
improperly treated Axis I disorder
Some personality traits may become
more pronounced
Sleep disorders
Advanced age is associated with
increased prevalence of sleep disorders
REM sleep behavior disorder occurs
among elderly men
Advanced sleep phase
Dementia associated with more
arousals, increased stage I sleep;
decreased stages 3/4