[Hyponatremia: old age and antidepressants]. / Hiponatremia:vejez y antidepresivos.

Antidepressants are medications that are used frequently in older adults. Among them, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors stand out for their safety profile. Hyponatremia is a potentially serious effect linked to the use of these as well as other antidepressants. Older adults constitute a population susceptible to presenting hyponatremia secondary to the use of these psychotropic drugs. Its prevalence is variable, from 0.5 to 32%. As a problem it is relativized or not taken into account. The objective of the work is to locate the problem of hyponatremia in relation to the use of antidepressants in the elderly population; as well as developing clinical and psychiatric aspects linked to the practice.

[Use of antidepressants in institutionalized patients with dementia and agitation: Case reports]. / Uso de antidepresivos en pacientes institucionalizados con demencia y agitación: reporte de casos.

Psychological and behavioral symptoms in dementias are frequent: they affect 90% of patients at some point in the evolution of the disease. Their presence determines in general the institutionalization of the person. Also, in that context, it may lead to an abusive prescription of antipsychotics, despite little evidence regarding its effcacy and adverse effects profle. Following this line, the objective of this work will focus on the "use" and "utility" of an under-examined pharmacological class in agitated patients with dementia: antidepressants. We will share a clinical experience from the report of ten cases of institutionalized patients.

[The matter: No psychiatrization]. / La cuestión: no psiquiatrizar.

Anxiety, sadness, worries, fears, irritability, fatigue, tedium, are situations that life confront us with. They don't qualify as psychiatric disorders, but nevertheless they are treated as though. We refer to the psychiatrization of daily life. The aim of this article is to prevent such psychiatrization. To support this assertion, we are going to develop different aspects tending to explain the origins of the patient's demands and the answers given by the psychiatrist. A critical reflection of our practice is proposed.

[THE MATTER: NO PSYCHIATRIZATION]. / La cuestión: no psiquiatrizar.

Anxiety, sadness, worries, fears, irritability, fatigue, tedium, are situations that life confront us with. They don't qualify as psy- chiatric disorders, but nevertheless they are treated as though. We refer to the psychiatrization of daily life. The aim of this article is to prevent such psychiatrization. To support this assertion, we are going to develop different aspects tending to explain the origins of the patient's demands and the answers given by the psychiatrist. A critical reflection of our practice is proposed.

[PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH OF BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA IN GERIATRICS INSTITUTIONS]. / Aproximación psicosocial de los síntomas conductuales y psicológicos de las demencias en las instituciones geriátricas.

The psychological and behavioural symptoms of dementia are one of the most important causesof institutionalization. They can, otherwise, go against it: some institutions refuse to accept patients or their staying there. Lattely, this creates difficult situations to deal with that can destabilize the medical team. A psychosocial approach is based in a wide variety of interventions that are designed in the patient himself, to relief the stress that generates dealing people with dementia. The aim of this paper is to analize theoretical issues and to revalue the role of psychosocial approach based on psychosocial interventions.

[Bioethics and dementia(s)]. / Bioética y demencia(s).

Population aging among the world will bring up an exponential increasing of dementia in the next 40 years. This will create more demands in medical care areas. And this will defeated psychiatrists with bioethical issues: capacity to obtain agreement for treatment, participation in research studies, dealing with own economy, institutionalization, and manager of behavioral symptoms. Guidelines delineating probable issues or ethical problems will be defined. The theoretical framework will be defi- ned concerning bioethical issues involved in the different stages of cognitive impairment.

[Cognitive impairment: the identity of the forgotten]. / Deterioro cognitivo: la identidad de los olvidados.

The aim of this paper is describe what goes on with the identity of a person as his cognitive impairment progresses. Sociohistorial, cultural and neuropsychiatric aspects will be articulated for the purpose of contributing to understanding new ways of being with cognitive impairment. A propose called "age associated cognitive challenges" will be present.

[Heart failure and depression. A psychosocial perspective]. / Insuficiencia cardíaca y depresión desde una perspectiva biopsicosocial.

Heart failure is the final stage of many heart diseases and the main cause of mortality. It affects the patient, the family and the health system. Depression affects between the 13.9% and 75% of inpatients, and between 11% and 42% of outpatients. It also affects social life and quality of life, causes hospitalization and rehospitalization, and it activates biological mechanisms that worsen the evolution of heart diseases. From a bibliographic review we discuss psychosocial and biological aspects that relate both diseases.

[Pain: a psychogeriatric perspective]. / Dolor: una mirada desde la psicogeriatría.

Identifying pain in old people is very important, because it modifies daily life and functional performance, and it increases dependence from others. It may be expressed not only as a sensitive experience but also as psychological disorders. It interferes with cognitive area and it is a risk factor for suicide. The subject is considered from a multidimensional approach: in the diagnosis of pain in the interview and as a psychiatric evaluation in other medical areas.

[Sexuality and dementia: a case study]. / Sexualidad en las demencias: estudio de casos.

In this paper we will discuss about sexuality in people with dementia, trying to show difficulties that arise and that affect the patient, his or her partner, the family and the geriatric institute if the patient lives there. Five clinical cases are described and deeply analyzed. Many times psychotropic medications are central in the treatment plan for people with dementia and some kind of sexual difficulty; but this is not enough. We think that it is necessary to combine pharmacologic approaches with others from human sciences that fit with our patients' difficulties.

[Psychogeriatric unit within a General Hospital. Descriptive analysis of outpatient assessment, diagnosis and treatment]. / Unidad de Psicogeriatría de un Hospital General. Análisis descriptivo de la evaluación, diagnóstico y tratamiento de las consultas ambulatorias.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of some epidemiological variables in 200 patients over 65 years old that came to admission as outpatients in the psychogeriatric area in the psychiatric unit at the Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHOD: A specific questionnaire was completed by both patient (or relative) and the physician. RESULTS: 83% were female and 17% male. The most important diagnosis were depressive disorder (34%), adaptive upheavals (28%) and dementia (16%), within this group, major depressive disorder and Alzheimer dementia. Only a 31% patients went under a neuropsychological assessment psychotherapy was indicated to 18% of the patients, pharmacology for 39%, memory improvement group for 18% and combined treatment for 25%. CONCLUSION: This paper brings data regarding outpatients over 65 years old with psychogeriatric treatment. This may improve the health system in psychogeriatric area taking into account socio-cultural and economic factors.

Deterioro cognitivo: la identidad de los olvidados / [Cognitive impairment: the identity of the forgotten].

The aim of this paper is describe what goes on with the identity of a person as his cognitive impairment progresses. Sociohistorial, cultural and neuropsychiatric aspects will be articulated for the purpose of contributing to understanding new ways of being with cognitive impairment. A propose called "age associated cognitive challenges" will be present.