Jennifer Matthews: Bill Takahashi is an amateur gardener. But a year ago, even his beloved orchids weren't enough to keep this 83 year old from feeling irritable and depressed.
Bill Takahashi: I was yelling at my wife more than normally. Like, if my eggs weren't turned over properly, I'd say, 'What kind of a cook are you?'
Jennifer Matthews: So, Bill's wife and daughter took him to geriatric psychiatrist Helen Lavretsky. In the past, there was no quick fix for depression in seniors.
Dr. Helen Lavretsky: Normally, an individual who is with geriatric depression, late life depression, responds or shows some signs of improvement in depression after weeks to months of active treatment.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Lavretsky now uses low doses of ritalin to kick start the effects of anti-depressants in her patients.
Bill Takahashi: It may have been the placebo effect, but a couple days after taking Ritalin, I was really just happy as a lark.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Lavretsky treated 21 elderly patients with ritalin, along with their traditional anti-depressants. Many felt better in as little as 72 hours.
Dr. Helen Lavretsky: It just adds to what other drugs don't provide. Another chemical that is responsible for a fast onset of action.
Jennifer Matthews: The energizing effects of ritalin is short-lived. That's why doctor Lavretsky combines the drug with anti-depressants. The hope is, by the time the ritalin wears off, the effects of the other drugs may be in full bloom. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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