Treatment of affective Symptoms in Geriatric Psychiatry with Pregabalin

Introduction: Pregabalin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid. It is an anticonvulsant drug used for neuropathic pain, as an adjunct therapy for partial seizures, and in generalized anxiety disorder. The goal of our katamnestic study was to examine efficacy, tolerability and dose range of Pregabalin given as mood stabilizer to aged psychiatric patients. Methods and results: During one year we treated 52 aged patients with Pregabalin because of affective symptoms in depression, anxiety disorders or dementia. Nearly all patients showed a high comorbidity with internal diseases and had a complex comedication. The age ranged between 61 and 94 years (mean: 77,1 years), male: 12, female: 40. The dose ranged from 25 to 300mg (mean: 124,25mg). Excepting a mild dizziness we didn't notice any side effects. Especially with regard to the renal elimination of Pregabalin no interaction of drugs could be found. Pregabalin was effective even in low dose to the leading affective symptoms. Conclusions: As a result of study we think that Pregabalin is also effective in affective symptoms of geriatric psychiatric patients, well tolerable and unproblematic with regard to the interaction of drugs which is all-important in the treatment of aged patients.