GERI-BD: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial of Lithium and Divalproex in the Treatment of Mania in Older Patients With Bipolar Disorder.

(Reprinted with permission from 174:1086-1093).

Effectiveness of Shared Decision-Making for Elderly Depressed Minority Primary Care Patients.

Objective: The authors assessed the impact of a shared decision-making (SDM) intervention among elderly depressed minority primary care patients not currently receiving treatment.

Methods: A total of 202 English and Spanish-speaking primary care participants aged 65 and older who scored positive on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (≥10) were randomized at the physician level to receive a brief SDM intervention or usual care (UC). Primary analyses focused on patient adherence to either psychotherapy or antidepressant medication, and reduction in depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) over 12 weeks.

GERI-BD: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial of Lithium and Divalproex in the Treatment of Mania in Older Patients With Bipolar Disorder.

Objective: Clinicians treating older patients with bipolar disorder with mood stabilizers need evidence from age-specific randomized controlled trials. The authors describe findings from a first such study of late-life mania.

Method: The authors compared the tolerability and efficacy of lithium carbonate and divalproex in 224 inpatients and outpatients age 60 or older with bipolar I disorder who presented with a manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode.

Assessing bipolar disorder in the older adult: the GERI-BD toolbox.

Introduction: The evidence base regarding characteristics of older adults with bipolar disorder (BD) remains limited. The NIH-funded multicenter study Acute Pharmacotherapy of Late-Life Mania (GERI-BD) assessed various clinical domains before and during mood stabilizer treatment in older adults participating in a 9-week, double-blind randomized controlled trial. We describe the rationale for selecting these instruments.