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Barbiturate tolerance and psychological functioning in elderly depressed patients1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Robert H. Cawley
Affiliation:
From The Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, London
Felix Post
Affiliation:
From The Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, London
Antonia Whitehead
Affiliation:
From The Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, London

Synopsis

Increases in barbiturate tolerance and in scores on certain cognitive tests were found to have occurred after the treatment of elderly depressives. These changes were related to original severity of illness and to the extent of improvement, as well as to a number of other clinical features including age at first attack. The reported findings lent support to theories linking depressive illness with reduction in cortical arousability.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

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