A study of Late Onset Schizophrenia Clinical Characteristics with Review of Literature.

That schizophrenia does manifest for the first time in old age, has been recognized for a long time. A number of recent epidemiological studies have also documented its onset in old age. It has remained controversial, however, if schizophrenia occurring for the first time in old age is different substantially from schizophrenia manifesting at younger age. A number of efforts have been going on in recent years in different parts of the world to document differences and similarity between two groups on parameters like clinical features, family history, psychopathology, treatment response, and prognosis and outcome. Many studies have appeared on neuroimaging and neurobiology of late onset schizophrenia. Some efforts have also been done in India on this entity. The present study is to examine clinical characteristics of late onset schizophrenia on number of standardized structured instruments. The study compares its results with some well known studies.

Depressive disorders in old age.

People are living longer life since with the improvement in health and medical services provided. Developing countries are not lagging behind the developed world as far as the life expectancy is concerned. The principal mental disorders of elderly people are mood disorders and dementia. In older people living in a community the rates of depressive disorders are likely to be the same as for all age groups of the general population, yet its prevalence in old age institution is high. Aetiology of depression in old age is caused by a variety of conditions namely genetic factors, physiological changes in all the systems, disability, loss of resources, some medical illness, etc. Clinical features include depressed mood most of the day, significant weight loss, persistent sleeplessness, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal attempt, etc. Tricyclic antidepressants are effective in elderly depressives. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors are well tolerated by elderly patients and are effective too. Electroconvulsive therapy is an alternative treatment of acute depression. Psychotherapy is often helpful and long-term care should be planned for to reduce disability.