SENIOR DEPRESSION
Depression can be debilitating for anyone, but it can be especially bad for the elderly, who have a six-times higher suicide rate. Most anti-depressants can take weeks or even months to kick in, in the elderly, but an old drug is now showing some promise in this area.
 |
Transcript of the story
|
|
Healthy For Life Extra
extra information about the story |
|
For More Information
where to go for help |
Bill Takahashi is an amateur gardener. But a year ago, even his beloved orchids weren't enough to keep this 83 year old from feeling irritable and depressed.
Bill Takahashi
Treated for depression
"I was yelling at my wife more than normally. Like, if my eggs weren't turned over properly, I'd say, 'What kind of a cook are you?'"
So, Bill's wife and daughter took him to geriatric psychiatrist Helen Lavretsky . In the past, there was no quick fix for depression in seniors.
Helen Lavretsky, M.D.
Geriatric Psychiatrist
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
"Normally, an individual who is with geriatric depression, late life depression, responds or shows some signs of improvement in depression after weeks to months of active treatment."
Doctor Lavretsky now uses low doses of ritalin to kick start the effects of anti-depressants in her patients.
Bill Takahashi
"It may have been the placebo effect, but a couple days after taking Ritalin, I was really just happy as a lark."
Doctor Lavretsky treated 21 elderly patients with ritalin, along with their traditional anti-depressants. Many felt better in as little as 72 hours.
Helen Lavretsky, M.D.
"It just adds to what other drugs don't provide. Another chemical that is responsible for a fast onset of action."
The energizing effects of ritalin is short-lived. That's why doctor Lavretsky combines the drug with anti-depressants. The hope is, by the time the ritalin wears off, the effects of the other drugs may be in full bloom.
Because of the high suicide rate among the elderly, doctor Lavretsky says it's important that depressed seniors get rapid treatment.
NEVER TOO OLD FOR DEPRESSION: Depression in the elderly is a serious problem that can have fatal consequences when undiagnosed or mistreated. The suicide rate for elderly white men is the highest for any age group in this country. Depression in seniors is often complicated by physical ailments, a lack of a family support structure, and other factors. Even when depression is diagnosed and medicine is prescribed, seniors may take longer to respond to medication than their younger counterparts. Mental health workers, geriatric psychiatrists in particular, realize rapid diagnosis and treatment is imperative for the elderly, but even when depression is identified and treatment prescribed, most effective therapies require several weeks to several months before becoming effective.
A FAMILIAR DRUG - A NEW USE: Baby boomers may know Ritalin as a drug that is widely prescribed for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Psychiatrists think the drug also has benefits for depressed people. Though not a traditional anti-depressant, Ritalin (methylphenidate) has been known to increase the production of dopamine in the brain, a process associated with the perception of pleasure. Unlike traditional anti-depressants, Ritalin's initial effects are experienced quite rapidly, sometimes as quickly as 72 hours.
Armed with that knowledge, Helen Lavretsky, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist from the University of California, Los Angeles, has been prescribing Ritalin to seniors in conjunction with standard anti-depressants. The idea behind her study was to determine if Ritalin's relatively fast-acting "energizing" effect could stabilize depressed seniors long enough for their primary anti-depressants to take effect. Her results are encouraging. Dr. Lavretsky studied 21 patients who were given both Ritalin and an anti-depressant. Most began to feel a positive change within one week, and 85 percent of the patients were in clinical remission within three weeks.
Ironically, although the positive effects of Ritalin arrive early, they do not last. Patients taking the drug for depression report their symptoms eventually return. This is the reason Dr. Lavretsky is using Ritalin in conjunction with traditional anti-depressants. The hope is that those drugs will have "kicked in" by the time Ritalin ceases to be effective.
CAUTION: Dr. Lavretsky warns there could be complications with the therapy when combined with other drugs that an elderly person might be taking. Because many seniors may take 10 to 15 different medications, great care must be exercised. She warns Ritalin may lead to blood pressure and heart rate changes, as well as increased anxiety. Dr. Lavretsky and her associates are now moving onto a double-blind study which will compare the progress of elderly patients taking anti-depressants and Ritalin, with those taking anti-depressants and a placebo.
Helen Lavretsky, M.D.
UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
760 Westwood Plaza, Room 37-384
Box 175919
Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759
(310) 794-4619
Copyright © 2003 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
|
|
|
|
REVERSING SCLERODERMA
A risky treatment could be the answer for patients with serious forms of this disease. 
COLONOSCOPY-NOT JUST FOR COLON CANCER
A virtual colonoscopy detects a wide range of diseases outside the colon, which could save lives. June is national Scleroderma Awareness Month!
CLEARER MRI
A new invention helps doctors get clearer images of people who can't lie still.
HELP FOR BLOOD PRESSURE
An investigational device could help patients with this condition stay healthier.
SEEING THE HEART IN 3D
Researchers in the Netherlands are using virtual reality to see the heart like never before.
PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine increases survival for patients with this deadly form of cancer.
NEW HELP FOR ALCOHOLICS
People who suffer from addiction may have a new option in the form of a pill.
TREATING URINARY INCONTINENCE
A sling helps women with this common problem find relief.
ROBOT REHAB FOR STROKE
A new robot is helping stroke patients recover without a therapist.
STEM CELLS HEAL HEARTS
Donor stem cells may be the answer for patients who suffer a heart attack.
BREATHING WITH EMPHYSEMA
A new, nonsurgical procedure could help patients breathe more easily.
DOPPLER PREDICTS STROKE
The same technology used to forecast a storm is helping doctors understand strokes and migraines.
BETTER BYPASS SURGERY
Cutting-edge technology allows doctors to fix a coronary bypass operation while the patient is still in surgery.
BETTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANT TREATMENT
A new treatment could reduce the risk of rejection within six months of a transplant.
WRAPPING RADIATION AROUND TUMORS
New technology allows doctors to target tumors with better precision.
CUTTING-EDGE SURGERY EDUCATION
Huge monitors and microscopic cameras are making it easier for surgeons to teach residents complicated procedures.
LUNG CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine under study offers hope for some patients who are diagnosed with this deadly cancer.
EASIER COLON CANCER TEST
A blood test may be the future in screening for colon cancer.
STEM CELLS FIGHT LUPUS
Using a patient's own stem cells could provide a cure for this devastating disease.
NEW SINUS RELIEF WITH A BALLOON
A new technique pushes sinus blockages out of the way and results in less pain.
HUNTINGTON'S HELP
A drug already approved in Europe and Canada could offer hope to patients who are plagued by this disease.
INHALED CHEMO
A new twist on standard chemotherapy offers less side effects and better precision.
STRENGTHENING BRITTLE BONES
A drug to treat osteoporosis is helping patients with a disease that weakens their bones.
BIRD FLU: BE PREPARED
Find out what you can do to prepare for the flu that experts think will hit the states in the coming months.
|
Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.
