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Objective To describe the use of psychotropics in the nondemented and demented elderly. Participants The home-dwelling elderly (n=523) among the random sample of 700 subjects from the total population of individuals aged 75 years or more in 1998 and living in the city of Kuopio, Finland. Methods A trained nurse interviewed the participants about their health and current use of medicines. A geriatrician performed clinical examinations and diagnosed diseases. Dementia and depression were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria. Results The demented subjects used more medicines of all kinds (p more...

Background The oldest old are prone to develop delirium. Studies into risk factors for delirium have been carried out predominantly in younger age groups. The aim of this population-based follow-up study was to investigate the risk factors for delirium requiring medical attention and subsequent prognosis in the non-demented general population aged ≥ 85 years. Method The study included the non-demented subjects in the population-based Vantaa 85+ study. After the 3-year observation period, 199 subjects (91% of those surviving) were re-examined and their medical records were evaluated for episodes of delirium. The subjects were followed up with respect to mortality for another 2 years. Results During the 3-year observational period, 20 subjects (10%) had been diagnosed as having had an episode of delirium. A Mini-Mental State Examination score of more...