Impact of problem alcohol use on patient behavior and caregiver burden in a geriatric assessment clinic.

There has been a growing interest in understanding issues surrounding alcohol use in late life. Information about the relationship of alcohol use to behavioral problems in older persons living in the community is particularly limited. This study used information obtained from an outpatient geriatric assessment clinic to study this relationship and the effects of these behaviors on caregivers.

Medication-induced dystonias in nine patients with dementia.

Evidence from previous studies of neuroleptic side effects suggests that acute dystonic reactions are rare in elderly patients. The authors report 9 cases of dystonic reactions in patients with dementia following the initiation of antipsychotic medication. The cases are important in documenting that drug-induced dystonias do occur in patients with dementia, that risperidone appears to have contributed to dystonia among elderly patients, and that the categorization of dystonic reactions needs further clarification.