In a study of 124 hospital residents with a learning disability aged 60 years and over, DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria were used to determine the prevalence of dementia (12.9%), mood disorder (8.9%) and schizophrenia (6.5%). The figure for dementia confirms the prevalence given in previous studies, but the figures for mood disorder and schizophrenia are higher. It was found that mood disorder was commoner in the age group 60-69 years (P > 0.01) and dementia was commoner in the age group 70-79 years (P > 0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of schizophrenia with age.

The case of a person with severe mental handicap whose pica became uncontrollable during episodes of depressive illness Is described. Treatment of the depression with lofepramine markedly reduced the pica, and withdrawal of lofepramine led to recurrence. It is suggested that biological symptoms of depression should be monitored in people with severe mental handicap who show significant episodic worsening of long-standing repetitive behaviour.

ABSTRACT. A case of a borderline subnormal schizophrenic is described in a patient who developed tardive dyskinesia after 21 years of neuroleptic therapy. However, features of tardive dyskinesia manifested only during the psychotic relapses and disappeared on remission of psychotic symtpoms.