Psychiatria pre prax 6/2005

DEPRESSIONS IN HIGHER AGE – CLINICAL SIGNS AND SPECIFICS OF THEIR TREATMENT

Depressions belong among the most frequent mental disorders of elderly people. Health, economical and social impact of these disorders in years is more significant compared to that in younger age. Elderly depressions belong among rarely diagnosed and even more rarely adequately treated mental disorders. The overview article refers to new discoveries regarding epidemiology, aetiology and clinical characteristics of depressions in elderly. Old age has an influence on general principles of pharmacotherapy and prophylaxis of depression. It acts as pathoplastic factor on clinical signs and a course of the depression. It increases the sensitivity to some of the adverse effects of antidepressants, e.g. extrapyramidal, cardiovascular and cognitive. It is a limiting factor for inclusion to controlled studies and in this way influences the quality of information of evidence based medicine. List of references is limited for acute treatment of depression by antidepressants and biological methods.

Keywords: depression, elderly, epidemiology, symptoms, clinical forms, antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy.