Methylphenidate use in geriatric depression: A systematic review.

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

Pharmacy Department, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Published: September 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • Geriatric depression is common and may require multiple treatment strategies, including medications like methylphenidate (MPH), due to potential lack of response to initial therapies.
  • In a systematic review of studies from PubMed and Embase, five clinical trials involving adults aged 60 and older were identified, all reporting improvements in depressive symptoms with MPH, either alone or combined with citalopram.
  • The findings suggest that MPH is most effective when used short-term and in conjunction with citalopram, starting at a low dose and adjusting based on patient response, while highlighting the need for larger, long-term studies to clarify its effectiveness in older adults.

Article Abstract

Objectives: Geriatric depression is common and is often associated with coexisting medical illnesses, cognitive dysfunction, or both. Treatment with pharmacotherapy is usually required, and many patients may not respond to initial therapy. Thus, there is a need for adjunctive treatment options. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of methylphenidate (MPH) in the treatment of geriatric depression.

Methods: PubMed (1946-December 2020) and Embase (1947-December 2020) were queried using the following search terms: geriatrics, aged, geriatric patient, or elderly and depressive disorder, depression, major depression or late-life depression, and MPH. Studies were included if they were a randomized-controlled trial or open-label trial that investigated use of MPH for treatment of depression in adults aged 60 years and older.

Results: After screening per the inclusion criteria, five prospective trials were included. All studies found improvement in depressive symptoms with use of MPH or MPH combined with citalopram. Study durations ranged from 8 to 16 weeks and MPH dosing ranged from 5 to 90 mg per day.

Conclusions: Based on the reviewed literature, MPH appears to be most effective when combined with citalopram and used short-term. MPH should be initiated at a low dose and titrated up to 10 or 20 mg per day based on response. Larger, long-term trials are needed to further define the role of MPH in this population.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.5536DOI Listing

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