Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychotic Symptoms in Elderly Patients

The diagnosis and treatment of psychotic symptoms in elderly patients requires more than extrapolation from studies of similar symptoms in the adult population. In comparison with early-onset psychosis, late-onset psychosis is characterised by differences in both its risk factors and typical signs and symptoms. Diagnosis may include psychotic disorders, mood disorders, delusional disorder, dementia or delirium. Several medications have also been associated with the development of psychotic symptoms in the elderly. There is a paucity of literature concerning psychotic symptoms specifically in elderly patients, and this complicates management.