Geriatric psychopharmacology: Why does age matter?

Older adults respond less predictably than younger adults to most medicatio ns, typically requiring lower daily doses to achieve desired therapeutic ef fects and minimize adverse effects and toxicity. This unpredictability is p articularly evident among the frail elderly, who are at the upper extreme o f the life cycle and often suffer from central neurodegenerative disorders and/or a significant burden of comorbid medical problems. Yet this populati on has a burgeoning need for clinical services and in recent years has beco me an increasingly important focus of attention among practitioners. The go al of this review is to provide clinicians with a conceptual framework for understanding and responding to aging and age-related events that influence pharmacotherapeutics in older patients with behavioral disorders. Limitati ons and gaps in our knowledge base are also highlighted. The article includ es a phenomenological overview of the aging process, a consideration of age -related factors that influence the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic pro perties of psychotropic drugs, and suggested methods of enhancing medicatio n compliance.