Structural Brain Changes: How Imaging Affects Management of Late-Life Psychiatric Conditions

Topics: Alzheimers | Atrophy | CT | DaT Scan | fMRi | Frontotemporal dementia | Imaging | LATE | MRI | Parkinson’s | PET Scan | White matter hyperintensities

CGPR: When do you decide to order imaging for your older adult patients? Dr. Ajilore: I order imaging when I think there is a nonpsychiatric cause for the patient’s symptoms. This could be normal pressure hydrocephalus, vascular disease including lacunar infarcts or stroke, trauma, or (in rare cases) a brain tumor. In patients with dementia, one im

Personality Changes Later in Life: Diagnostic and Treatment Considerations

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Borderline Personality Disorder | Disinhibition | Frontotemporal dementia | Hypomania | Mania | MOCA | Neuropsychological testing | Personality Disorders | Self-injury | Stimulants | Suicide

CGPR: What is the course of personality disorders as people age? Dr. Tampi: Personality usually doesn’t change much. People with borderline personality disorder (BPD), for example, don’t usually experience significant changes once they reach middle age. Experiences over a person’s lifespan may teach them skills that blunt their sharp edges, but