AUGMENTATION STRATEGIES IN GERIATRIC DEPRESSION

Approximately 30-40% of elderly patients with major depression have inadequate response to an initial therapeutic trial of antidepressant medication. In these cases augmentation of the antidepressant has been recommended as one way of improving the rate of response. This article reviews the literature on augmentation strategies in treatment-resistant geriatric depression. Successful augmentation with lithium, triiodothyronine, stimulants, carbamazepine, valproate and a tricyclic-serotonin reuptake inhibitor combination have been described. However, there have been no controlled trials and, with the exception of two open prospective studies of lithium potentiation, the literature consists entirely of case reports and retrospective case series. As a result, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the efficacy of these strategies in late life, especially since treatment failures seldom get reported. Side-effects may limit the usefulness of some augmentation regimens in old age-up to 25% of patients treated with lithium or carbamazepine discontinued these medications because of adverse events. There is a need for controlled studies to better determine the clinical utility of augmentation strategies in physically well depressed elderly, as well as those with depression complicating medical illness, dementia and other neurological disorders.