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National Institutes of Health

NIMH Pages about Older Adults

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Publications

Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts (Fact Sheet)
A brief overview of the statistics on depression and suicide in older adults, with information on depression treatments and suicide prevention
Date: 2003

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Science News

Use of Antipsychotics in Alzheimer’s Patients May Lead to Detrimental Metabolic Changes
April 15, 2009 • Science Update
Atypical antipsychotic medications are associated with weight gain and other metabolic changes among patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness—Alzheimer’s Disease (CATIE-AD) study. The study was published online ahead of print April 15, 2009, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Brain Awareness Week Teaches Kids How Their Brains Work
March 17, 2009 • Press Release
The 10th annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW), a science and health education fair held in various locations across the United States, teaches fifth through eighth grade students about the brain. In Washington, D.C., it will take place March 16-20, 2009, at the National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Several institutes from the National Institutes of Health will provide interactive exhibits and lectures focusing on brain health and neuroscience on March 18th and 19th.
Health Care Costs Much Higher for Older Adults with Depression Plus Other Medical Conditions
February 13, 2009 • Science Update
Medicare participants who have diabetes or congestive heart failure as well as depression have significantly higher health care costs than their counterparts who do not have co-existing depression, according to a recent NIMH-funded analysis published online ahead of print January 16, 2009, in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
Antipsychotic Medications May Ease Some Alzheimer’s Symptoms, Not Others
June 23, 2008 • Science Update
Antipsychotic medications may lessen symptoms like hostility and aggression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but do not appear to lessen other symptoms or improve quality of life, according to a recent analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness Alzheimer’s Disease (CATIE-AD) study.
Preventive Treatment May Help Head Off Depression Following a Stroke
May 28, 2008 • Science Update
For the first time, researchers show that preventive treatment with an antidepressant medication or talk therapy can significantly reduce the risk or delay the start of depression following an acute stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health. These findings differ from past studies attempting to prevent poststroke depression. The study appears in the May 28, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Meeting Summaries

Current Issues in Psychosocial Intervention Research in Late-Life Mental Disorders
September 01, 2006
Arlington, Virginia
NIMH’s Geriatrics Research Branch in the Division of Adult Translational Research and Treatment Development (DATR) organized this multidisciplinary workshop, held in Arlington, Virginia in September 2006.

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