Open AccessAripiprazole for acute mania in an elderly person
Author(s) -
Balaji Bharadwaj,
Shivanand Kattimani,
Anuriddha Mukherjee
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
industrial psychiatry journal/industrial psychiatry journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0976-2795
pISSN - 0972-6748
DOI - 10.4103/0972-6748.102532
Subject(s) - aripiprazole , mania , medicine , pediatrics , psychosis , antipsychotic , psychiatry , etiology , bipolar disorder , family history , dopaminergic , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , mood , dopamine
New-onset bipolar disorder is rare in the elderly. Symptom profile is similar to that in young adults but the elderly are more likely to have neurological co-morbidities. There are no case reports of elderly mania being treated with aripiprazole, an atypical antipsychotic. A 78-year-old gentleman presented to us with symptoms suggestive of mania of 1 month's duration. He had similar history 3 years ago and a family history of postpartum psychosis in his mother. There were no neurological signs on examination and work-up for an organic etiology was negative except for age-related cerebral atrophy. He improved with aripiprazole and tolerated the medications well. The use of psychotropic medications in the elderly is associated with side-effects of sedation, increased cardiovascular risk, and greater risk of extra-pyramidal side-effects. The use of partial dopaminergic antagonists like aripiprazole may be useful in the balancing of effects and side-effects.