Geriatric psychiatry and psychotherapy

The research group Geriatric psychiatry and psychotherapy focuses on investigation of psychiatric disorders and their treatment in elderly patients.

One main area of research are polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions, since polypharmacy is a common issue in elderly patients with potential severe side effects. We also investigate clinical and genetic factors influencing response to psychopharmacological treatment.

Further research projects examine psychosocial risk and protective factors in elderly people and develop diagnostic standards for dementia and delirium as well as new concepts for palliative care for geriatric psychiatric patients. Further, we investigate possibilities to improve neuropsychological diagnostics in patients with dementia. Besides the projects in elderly patients, we also conduct research projects focusing on psychiatric care for parents with mental disorders.   

We cooperate, among others, with the Pharmacogenetics Research Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada and with the research group delirium and cognition at the Department for Anesthesiology at Charité Campus.