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D A Plotkin

Publications and source records attributed to D A Plotkin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Partial hospitalization (day treatment) for psychiatrically ill elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to present initial findings from a retrospective chart review of geriatric day treatment patients in order to focus attention on this potentially important area, add to the limited database in this area, and generate hypotheses for future investigations. METHOD: Data were abstracted from the charts of 100 geriatric day treatment patients over a period of approximately 5 years (1985-1989). Descriptive, univariate, and multiple regression techniques were used to describe the patients and identify variables associated with their outcomes. RESULTS: The typical patient in this program was a widowed white woman in her 70s who suffered from a depressive disorder. During the initial treatment period (usually approximately 3 months), 57% of the patients experienced some clinical improvement. Variables associated with a favorable outcome included diagnosis of a mood disorder rather than a psychotic disorder, better initial functional status, greater initial social support, fewer stressful events during treatment, and longer duration of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric day treatment can be effective and merits further study as a mode of treatment for psychiatrically ill elderly patients.

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PubMed1992

Retrospective accounts of dementia symptoms: are they reliable?

Relatives of patients with dementia completed questionnaires about caregiver stress and patients' functional and psychiatric problems during an initial evaluation, at follow-up 4 to 17 months later, and retrospectively (i.e., based on recall of symptoms and behaviors at the initial assessment). Retrospective accounts correlated well with initial reports, particularly with larger scales including a wider range of alternative responses, but psychiatric symptoms were underreported in the retrospective accounts. Spouses tended to report lower levels of psychiatric symptoms than did younger relatives.

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PubMed1988

Antidepressant drug studies, 1964 to 1986: empirical evidence for aging patients.

This review is based on 25 double-blind anti-depressant drug studies reported between 1964 and 1986 that focused on patients over 55 years of age. The number of studies located in the literature is appallingly small, particularly when we consider that we included experimental drugs as well as drugs not recommended for use with the elderly. In general, the results of our survey support clinical experience: the drugs are clearly superior to placebo; they show comparable therapeutic efficacy--about 50% improvement in Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression scores versus 20% to 25% on placebo; and all of them have undesirable side effects. Thus, the choice of drug is based on side effects profiles and potential drug-drug interactions rather than on degree of therapeutic efficacy. The review makes apparent the need for more substantial data on treatment outcome in patients over the age of 60 years. Beyond that, additional information is unlikely to change the 50% response rate or the potential for serious side effects with most of the currently available drugs. We clearly need better drugs.

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PubMed1985

Subjective memory complaints in geriatric depression.

Improvement in depressive symptoms was significantly related to a decrease in subjective memory complaints in 29 elderly depressed outpatients. Patients with substantial improvement in their depression showed similar reductions in memory complaints regardless of whether they received tricyclic antidepressants or group psychotherapy.

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