Objective: This report reviews the efficacy and tolerability of risperidone therapy in elderly patients with chronic psychosis.
Methods: A computer search was conducted for all patients who were sixty-five years or older at the time of risperidone therapy at the Cleveland VAMC. Data collected included psychiatric diagnosis, risperidone dosage/side effects, concurrent medications, comorbid medical diagnosis, and response to treatment. Treatment response was quantified on a graduated scale.
Results: Twenty-six patients age sixty-five or older were included in this sample. Mean age of the group was 70.4 years. Mean risperidone dosage was 3.8 mg/day for a mean duration of 251 days. Eighteen of twenty-six patients (69%) had schizophrenia, two of twenty-six (8%) had schizoaffective disorder, two of twenty-six (8%) had bipolar disorder, and four of twenty-six (15%) had other psychotic disorders. Patients had a mean of 2.4 medical diagnoses in addition to their primary psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-two of twenty-six patients (85%) had clinical improvement on risperidone, and twenty of twenty-six (77%) had improvement that was either marked or moderate. Risperidone therapy was very well tolerated in this elderly population with nineteen of twenty-six patients (73%) remaining on risperidone therapy at completion of this study. Medical illness did not appear to be worsened or complicated by risperidone therapy.
Conclusion: Risperidone appears to be an effective and well tolerated antipsychotic for elderly patients with chronic psychosis.