Mania in the elderly

Abstract

Mania continues to be a fascinating and important clinical entity. Its distinctive features make it amenable to systematic analysis of the genetic, environmental and biological variables that contribute to this disorder. Data from studies of the elderly may be important in helping to elucidate unanswered questions about affective disorders in younger adults. Geriatric patients offer the opportunity to study a lifetime course retrospectively and to identify familial predispositions because of prolonged exposure in first degree relatives. Finally, the nature and prevalence of heterogeneous neurological disorders, especially cerebrovascular disease, may now be clarified with modem developments in neuroimaging