Question. I recently heard of the use of a low dose of Thorazine for the treatment of depression. Are you familiar with this treatment? Answer. I am not aware of any controlled, persuasive evidence that Thorazine (chlorpromazine) or any standard antipsychotic - in low doses or high - is particularly effective as an antidepressant. The exception to this claim may be in so-called delusional depression, in which psychotic features are present; ... Read More

Atypical Antipsychotics Most initial published data on atypical antipsychotic drugs in the elderly are clinical trials in nondemented patients with schizophrenia or Parkinson's disease. In the last two to three years, controlled trials evaluating risperidone (Risperdal) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) in patients with dementia have been published. There is now evidence that these two atypical antipsychotic drugs offer efficacy in this patient population with fewer adverse effect concerns than the typical antipsychotic ... Read More

Patients with dementia display a broad range of cognitive impairments and behavioral and psychotic symptoms. Common behavioral symptoms include verbal and physical aggression, hyperactivity, disinhibition, and pacing and wandering; common psychotic symptoms include paranoia, delusions and hallucinations. These behavioral and psychotic symptoms are the leading cause for the use of more restrictive supervised environments, including institutionalization. Effective pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment of these symptoms is desirable and, in addition, might delay ... Read More