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Biomedical subjects

G S Alexopoulos

Publications and source records attributed to G S Alexopoulos.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Geriatric depression and DSM-III-R personality disorder criteria.

The relationship between personality traits and late-life depression is not well established. The Personality Disorder Examination (PDE), a recently developed structured interview for diagnosing DSM-III-R* personality disorders, has provided a methodological advance for studies in this area. The PDE was administered to 36 cognitively intact elderly individuals. The sample consisted of 21 patients who had recovered from depression and 15 normal volunteers. Two of the patients met DSM-III-R criteria for personality disorder according to the PDE. The patient group received higher scores on PDE items related to each personality diagnosis (P less than .01) except antisocial personality disorder. These preliminary data suggest that elderly patients with a history of major depression have more lifetime personality dysfunction than normal elderly individuals, although no specific pattern could be identified.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Platelet MAO activity in geriatric patients with depression and dementia.

The authors studied platelet MAO activity in psychiatrically hospitalized geriatric patients with depression and dementia. Platelet MAO activity was higher in demented patients with and without depression and in depressed patients with reversible dementia than in nondemented depressed patients. The data suggest that abnormally high platelet MAO activity may reflect a predisposition to the development of a dementia syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Dexamethasone suppression test in depression with reversible dementia.

Depression with reversible dementia occurs frequently in the elderly and may be a diagnostic problem. The 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed in 175 elderly psychiatric patients. Abnormal DSTs occurred in both patients with primary degenerative dementia (n = 43, 34.9%) and those with major depression without cognitive dysfunction (n = 59, 66.1%). This finding suggests the presence of common hypothalamic abnormalities in these two disorders. There was no difference in the incidence of abnormal DSTs among depressives with a reversible dementia (n = 28, 78.6%), cognitively intact depressives (n = 59, 66.2%), and depressives who also had primary degenerative dementia (n = 24, 70.8%). An abnormal DST is not clinically useful in predicting the outcome of dementia in depressed patients with cognitive dysfunction.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Ulcerative colitis in association with chronic paranoid schizophrenia: a review of steroid-induced psychiatric disorders.

A 21-year-old schizophrenic man developed ulcerative colitis. Because he might have needed steroids, we reviewed the literature on the use of steroids in patients with psychiatric disorders. The pathogenesis of psychiatric symptoms during steroid therapy is unknown. Development of psychiatric complications in patients receiving steroids is probably dose-dependent. The type of psychiatric manifestations is variable, ranging from affective through schizophreniform syndromes. It is unclear whether a history of psychiatric disorders increases the risk for psychiatric problems from steroids. In the majority of patients psychiatric complications remit when the dose of steroids is reduced or discontinued, or when appropriate pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are administered. Preliminary studies suggest that lithium may prevent development of steroid psychosis.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1985

"I don't know" responses in elderly depressives and in dementia.

"I don't know" responses were recorded during administration of the Mini-Mental State Examination in elderly patients with primary degenerative dementia and primary major depression. More "I don't know" responses were given by patients with degenerative dementia; however, demented patients did not differ overall from depressives in the proportion of Not Correct responses consisting of "I don't know" responses. These responses were positively correlated with age and with Hollingshead education and social class scores in depressives but not in demented patients. A higher proportion of Not Correct responses consisting of "I don't know" responses needs to be demonstrated in depressive pseudomentia than in degenerative dementia if this clinical sign is to be used in helping to differentiate the two disorders.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Plasma 10-hydroxynortriptyline and ECG changes in elderly depressed patients.

Among 18 elderly depressed patients given ECGs before and during nortriptyline treatment, plasma E-10-hydroxynortriptyline and the sum of E-10-hydroxynortriptyline and nortriptyline distinguished the group with conduction/repolarization effects. Plasma nortriptyline, age, drug dose, and baseline cardiovascular status did not.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Plasma 10-hydroxynortriptyline in elderly depressed patients.

Plasma concentrations of nortriptyline (NT) and of unconjugated E-10-hydroxynortriptyline (E-10-OH-NT) were measured under steady-state conditions in elderly (60 yr and older) and young adult (40 yr and younger) patients treated with NT. The two groups received equivalent doses of NT. Plasma NT concentrations of the two groups did not differ, but plasma E-10-OH-NT concentrations were higher in the elderly. The plasma E-10-OH-NT/NT ratios were twice as high in the elderly group. Plasma E-10-OH-NT/NT ratios varied 2000% between individuals in the elderly group but were stable within individuals. Plasma E-10-OH-NT/NT ratios correlated positively but weakly with serum creatinine concentrations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Medical problems of geriatric psychiatric patients and younger controls during electroconvulsive therapy.

Medical problems occurring during electroconvulsive therapy were studied in a population of 293 psychiatric inpatients who received 2,809 treatments. Geriatric patients (N = 199) developed significantly more medical problems that required medical treatment or temporary discontinuation of electroconvulsive therapy than did younger controls (N = 94). The most important of these were cardiovascular in nature. Despite their increased frequency, the majority of medical problems that occurred were reversible. Electroconvulsive therapy therefore appeared to be a safe procedure for elderly psychiatric patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Platelet MAO activity in primary degenerative dementia.

Platelet MAO activity was studied in 24 patients with primary degenerative dementia and 20 normal elderly controls. Demented patients had significantly higher platelet MAO activity than did controls. The increase was greater than that reported to occur in normal aging.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Outcome study of familial and nonfamilial alcoholism.

Among 2,215 male Navy alcoholic inpatients, a higher number of alcoholic first-degree relatives correlated significantly with poorer treatment outcome, measured by follow-up reports of job performance from their commands over 2 years.

Alcoholism↗