Premium
A review of the reversible MAO‐A inhibitor moclobemide in geriatric patients
Author(s) -
Hampel Harald,
Berger Claudia,
Buch Katharina,
Möller HansJürgen
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199801)13:1<43::aid-hup953>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - moclobemide , tolerability , medicine , antidepressant , pharmacodynamics , psychiatry , drug , onset of action , major depressive episode , psychology , pharmacokinetics , pharmacology , cognition , adverse effect , anxiety
At present, in Western Europe and the USA 12–15 per cent of the total population are over 65 years old. The portion of mentally abnormal persons in this age group is given at 30 per cent. After dementing disorders, depressive syndromes are the most frequent psychiatric diseases of old age. In the use of antidepressant, psychoactive drugs, one should bear in mind age‐related pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic changes, frequently present multimorbidity, poor compliance, and drug side effects or interactions as complicating factors. In this report the reversible MAO‐A inhibitor, moclobemide, which has now been in clinical use for about 5 years, is examined critically with respect to its pharmacological mode of action, its pharmacokinetic profile, and its tolerability, especially from the psychogeriatric aspect which has received little attention to date. A comparison of the relevant literature shows that moclobemide has advantages over other, classic, antidepressants because of better tolerability, fewer side effects and interactions, shorter latency of effect, and lower toxicity. These advantages, together with a favourable influence on cognitive capacities appear to be very useful, particularly in old age. At this point, however, a conclusive judgment still cannot be reached. Further controlled studies are required for this purpose. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.