Clinical Psychiatry News articles from April 2004

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from April 2004

Smoking drinkers: treat both dx.(News)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Dr. Richard Hurt is sick of watching his alcoholism patients die. But it's not the alcoholism they're dying from, said Dr. Hurt, director of the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn....

FDA wants new warnings on 10 antidepressants: agency cites suicidality, worsening depression risks in children--and adults.(News)
April 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of 10 antidepressant drugs to include on their labeis stronger warnings about the need to monitor adult and pediatric patients for symptoms of worsening depression and the emergence...

Proposals for DSM-V need high evidence threshold: diagnostic research conferences planned.(News)(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
April 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Psychiatrists still have plenty of time to participate in helping to formulate the next major edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, according to a presentation at the annual conference of the Anxiety...

PGY-2 spots on decline for psychiatry.(News)(Post Graduate Year)
April 1, 2004... Postgraduate year 2 residency positions in clinical psychiatry may soon be a thing of the past, Dr. Sidney Weissman predicted. Residencies in general psychiatry continue to thrive, with 979 of 1,020 positions filled this year on Match Day....

The case of law vs. life.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Both Dr. Douglas Mossman and Dr. Howard V. Zonana failed to adequately reflect the strong prohibition against physician participation in executions as laid down by the American Medical Association ("Pro & Con: Should psychiatrists treat...

More on patients who rage.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... I have seen several patients with rage attacks ("Helping Patients Who Rage," Fink! Still at Large, March 2004, p. 14). The emergency strategy when jobs, marriages, or children have been threatened is to get the patient to take a "time out."...

Rage and dementia.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... The first step in defusing aggression involves distinguishing different kinds of aggression ("Helping Patients Who Rage," March 2004, p. 14). Physical or verbal assault, intrusiveness, or irritability all could earn the term of aggression, and...

Hardship a part of life.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Appropriately enough, an academic from Harvard Medical School speaking in Canada indicts health care financing in the U.S. because people have bankruptcies related to medical costs ("Medical Causes Behind 55% of Bankruptcies," July 2003, p....

Correction.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... The article, "Congress to Focus on Helping Uninsured in 2004," (Feb. 1, 2004, p. 95), should have said that under federal law, physicians are free to charge Medicare patients less than the amount allowed by the Medicare fee schedule, but they...

The 'tricky intimacy' of psychoanalysis.(Reel Life)
April 1, 2004... In the film "Empathy," both documentary and fictional approaches are used to examine what director Amie Siegel terms the "tricky intimacy" that exists between psychoanalysts and their patients. "Empathy" is far from being a mainstream film, but...

Psychometrics: a valuable tool.(Guest Editorial)
April 1, 2004... Some of our colleagues think of psychological testing as an area that is restricted to psychologists or forensic evaluators. But psychological testing can provide valuable information about our patients and is an area in which all psychiatrists...

Counsel parents to stop smoking.(Guest Editorial)
April 1, 2004... For too long, we have focused on the adult consequences of smoking, and have conceptualized it as an adult disease. But tobacco use is a disease of children. Its impact begins in the intrauterine period, when a smoking mother puts her...

The challenge of treating ADHD.(Fink! Still at Large)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
April 1, 2004... When it comes to treating children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, many of us are quick to turn to drug therapy. For many of these children, however, nonpharmacologic approaches can prove effective. What strategies have you used...

Practical psychopharmacology: cognitive deficits and schizophrenia.(Opinion)
April 1, 2004... Cognitive deficits have long been recognized in the core definition of schizophrenia, but only in the past few years has their full impact become clear. They predict disability more powerfully than do positive or negative symptoms. Overall...

Guest editorial: dealing with complications.(Opinion)
April 1, 2004... Complications are ubiquitous in medicine. But most of us are poorly equipped to handle the psychological effects of severe complications. The effects of complications can be devastating for the doctors involved. But medicine does a poor job...

Weigh side effect profiles in prescribing atypicals.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- The differences among atypical antipsychotics--and between these and older neuroleptics--are not as great as many psychiatrists think. Most clinicians prescribe within a narrow range of drugs, their choices among members of the...

The psychiatrist's toolbox: helping patients beat chronic pain--part II.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... Last month, I explored the value of controlling chronic pain patterns with psychodynamic psychotherapy. We defined a chronic pain pattern as an illness that, in a short period of time, can seriously alter a person's lifestyle and lead to...

Tiagabine for diabetic polyneuropathy.(Adult Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The anticonvulsant tiagabine appeared to reduce painful diabetic polyneuropathy and improve sleep in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 14 patients, Dr. Louis C. Kirby reported. Ten patients started with 2 mg...

OFC best for some bipolar depression.(Adult Psychiatry)(olanzapine-fluoxetine combination)
April 1, 2004... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Patients with rapid cycling bipolar depression had better response and remission when treated with a combination of olanzapine and fluoxetine, compared with olanzapine alone or placebo, Dr. Sara Corya reported at a meeting...

Evidence-based psychiatric medicine: gabapentin and bipolar disorder.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... The Patient You cover a vacationing colleague's practice. A patient suffering with bipolar disorder arrives for a follow-up visit. The patient shows signs of ongoing hypomania/mania. He has been prescribed lithium to a level of 1.1 mEq/L....

Clinical capsules.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD The loss of consciousness for an extended period after a traumatic brain injury appears to protect against the development of posttraumatic stress disorder, reported Judith Glaesser of the University of Konstanz...

Visionary Art: the art of Veronica Benning.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... Veronica Benning uses painting to turn her attention away from the "relentlessness" of her illness. She gets lost in her art. Her abstract paintings vibrate with fat strokes of bold, vivid colors. They often depict a still life of flowers...

Tailor bipolar relapse management to each patient.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- The overarching goal of preventing bipolar relapse should be kept in mind from the time that the first acute manic episode is treated, Dr. David L. Dunner said at a meeting on psychopharmacology sponsored by New York University. ...

Switching rx may reduce hyperprolactinemia.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Patients with hyperprolactinemia associated with risperidone or conventional antipsychotic agents experienced a reduction in prolactin levels and improved sexual function after switching to olanzapine in an open-label study, Dr....

Bupropion XL useful for adult ADHD.(Adult Psychiatry)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
April 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Extended-release bupropion appears to be a safe and effective treatment for adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, with more than 50% of patients experiencing at least a 30% reduction in core symptoms while...

HIV patients with PTSD: more distress.(Adult Psychiatry)(posttraumatic stress disorder)
April 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- HIV-positive individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder experience lower quality of life and higher levels of psychological distress than do those without PTSD. But those with PTSD do not experience significant...

PTSD findings may pinpoint specific tx.(Adult Psychiatry)(posttraumatic stress disorder)
April 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Studies on patients with posttraumatic stress disorder provide important insights on the biologic underpinnings of the condition and may help in the refinement of specific treatments for PTSD, Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., said at a...

PTSD prevalence in some female veterans at 22%.(Adult Psychiatry)(posttraumatic stress disorder)
April 1, 2004... Female veterans seeking their medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs are at significantly elevated risk for posttraumatic stress disorder, associated psychiatric and health problems, and functional impairment, Dr. Dorcas J. Dobie...

Tx of patients with OCD should remain fluid.(Adult Psychiatry)(obsessive-compulsive disorder)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Medication for obsessive-compulsive disorder can be quite effective, but for the substantial proportion of patients who fail to respond adequately to the primary treatment, switching or augmentation becomes necessary. "Trial...

Data sparse on rx to boost antidepressants.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Augmentation of primary antidepressant treatment is necessary for most depressed patients to achieve remission. But the evidence base to guide this strategy is "incredibly puny," Dr. Leslie Lundt said at a meeting on...

Venlafaxine and panic disorder.(Adult Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Venlafaxine was associated with significantly higher life satisfaction ratings among patients with panic disorder, compared with placebo, Dr. Michael R. Liebowitz said in a poster presented at a meeting sponsored by the...

Myths surrounding suicides continue to persist despite facts.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... T.S. Eliot opens his famous poem, "The Waste Land," with the line "April is the cruelest month." Statistically that may be true, because the springtime--not the winter holiday season--has the highest rate of suicides. "April specifically...

Monitor pregnant bipolar patients carefully.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Bipolar disorder can present an array of challenges during and after pregnancy, with the same influences that can make treatment most urgent also making it most complicated, Dr. Marlene Freeman said at a psychopharmacology...

Data missing on Depression tx during, after pregnancy.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Depression rates in women can be just as high in the third trimester of pregnancy as during the postpartum period. The challenges in treating cases in either phase of motherhood are complicated by concerns for the infant and a...

Assess priorities, confidence to change behavior.(Adult Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- During interviews designed to motivate change, ask patients to rate the perceived importance of making a behavioral change, as well as their confidence that the change is possible, David B. Rosengren, Ph.D., advised at a...

STD counseling may reduce HIV rate.(Adult Psychiatry)(Sexually Transmitted Disease)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Counseling aimed at preventing sexually transmitted diseases can be expected to reduce HIV infection rates, reported Dr. John Beltrami in a poster at the annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine. An...

TeenScreen flags adolescents at risk of suicide.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Adolescent suicide is not usually a spur-of-the-moment act--for every teen who is successful at committing suicide, more than 2,000 consider it, and nearly two-thirds of those who kill themselves show psychiatric symptoms more...

Antiepilepsy meds ease explosive disorder.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Youths with intermittent explosive disorder who remained compliant with their antiepileptic pharmacotherapy after discharge had significantly better outcomes than those who stopped the medication, Dr. Daniel Matthews...

Autism-MMR vaccine link gets partial retraction.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Measles-mumps-rubella)
April 1, 2004... British researchers who were charged with scientific and ethical misconduct in their study of autism have refuted the allegations and retracted only a single comment in the "interpretation" section of their paper linking autism to MMR...

Seizures starting in left hemisphere lead to worst memory deficits.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Epileptic children whose seizure activity arises in the left hemisphere of the brain present with more, and more severe, memory deficits than those whose seizures arise in the right hemisphere, Dr. Thomas Burns reported in...

Clinic-based intervention helps poor Latino children.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... PITTSBURGH -- Young Latino children who are born into poverty to young, poorly educated mothers have a substantially improved development with a clinic-based intervention, Dr. Alan L. Mendelsohn said at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Clues to asthma's severity rest in bedtime symptoms.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Many physicians do not ask about their patients' nighttime symptoms of asthma and, consequently, may underestimate disease severity, Dr. Janice H. Howell said at a conference on care of the sick child sponsored by the Nemours...

Strategy aims to slow tempo of the atopic march in early childhood.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- An ambitious, 6-year study has been launched to determine whether tight control of atopic dermatitis in early childhood can cut short a relentless immunologic cascade that in many children leads ultimately to lifelong...

Children feel distress over skin ills.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Physicians were less able than parents and children to predict psychosocial dysfunction in pediatric patients with chronic skin conditions, judging from the findings of one study. Overall, the social impact of the child's...

Pediatric bipolarity: combine lithium, divalproex.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- In the stark absence of evidence-based guidelines on the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder, clinical experience is suggesting that many young bipolar patients may benefit from combination therapy, according to Dr. Robert L....

Implicit memory affects parent-child attachment.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Helping parents develop a coherent narrative of their own childhood experiences should help their children thrive by fostering attachment, Dr. Daniel J. Siegel said at the 11th International Congress of the Association for Pre-...

Buying nicotine replacement products.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A white, 15-year-old girl was able to purchase nicotine replacement products at 81% of 165 stores that sold them, reported Dr. Karen C. Johnson and her colleagues at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. The study was...

Fragile X gaze aversion.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome may avoid face-to-face contact because of dysfunctional neural systems involved in face processing, reported Amy S. Garrett, Ph.D., and her colleagues at Stanford (Calif.) University. Their...

Fast food and weight.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4-19 years eat fast food in a typical day, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Those who ate fast...

Once-daily methylphenidate, driving.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Teenage boys diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who took osmotic release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate once daily scored better on computer tests of driving ability than boys who took methylphenidate three times daily,...

Teen parents and welfare.(Clinical Capsules)(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Since the introduction of welfare reform in 1996, it's been a mixed bag of results for teen parents, according to a report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. One of the chief aims of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)...

Mild Alzheimer's disease may respond well to galantamine.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease may benefit from galantamine treatment, Dr. Gary W. Small reported in a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. The researchers...

Atypicals can ease dementia, but more research is needed.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Some atypical antipsychotics appear to improve symptoms of dementia, said Dr. Laura K. Sherman of the University of Texas, Houston. But research is spotty--or even nonexistent, in the case of some agents--and more needs to be...

Higher mortality seen in olanzapine-treated elderly.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- The incidence of mortality was higher among elderly patients with dementia who were treated with olanzapine, compared with those patients given a placebo, according to a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American...

Monitor subsyndromal depression in elderly.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- It might be a good idea to keep an eye on elderly patients who suffer from some symptoms of depression but don't fit the clinical definitions of major or minor depression, according to research presented at the annual meeting of...

Intervention proves key to preventing suicidal ideation.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Primary care physicians who recognize and adequately treat depression in elderly patients can quickly reduce suicidal ideation in an age group that is particularly prone to suicide deaths. This finding comes from the first...

Late-onset depression may flag later dementia.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Depression, especially when it first occurs late in life, appears to predict the onset of vascular and ischemic dementia and Alzheimer's disease, Martine Simard, Ph.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the...

CV risks may presage dementia in healthy elderly.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Cardio-Vascular)
April 1, 2004... Subclinical structural brain disease progressed over time in a group of healthy elderly subjects, with the greatest MRI-measured volume increases seen in patients with cerebrovascular risk factors, Dr. Ian A. Cook and his associates reported....

Dementia patients get feeding tubes instead of palliation.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... Patients with advanced dementia are not recognized as having a terminal condition and so do not receive adequate palliative care in the final phase of the illness, reported Dr. Susan L. Mitchell and her associates at Beth Israel Deaconess...

Older bipolar patients: more comorbidities.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Bipolar disorder does not appear to occur as frequently in older adults as it does in younger populations. But the disorder often is complicated by more comorbidities than that which occur in the general older adult population, Amy...

Late-life bipolar disorder is treated without specific guidelines or evidence.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Psychiatrists are treating bipolar disorder in older adults primarily through an extrapolation of data from younger patients with the disorder, Dr. Martha Sajatovic said at the annual meeting of the American Association for...

Stroke risk factors linked to cognitive decline.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- High cognitive function is more common among people with a low risk of stroke and may protect against cognitive decline in the future, Dr. Jacob Elkins reported at the 29th International Stroke Conference. "A decline in...

Lithium raises older patients' car crash risk.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Older adults on lithium are involved in injurious car crashes more than twice as often as those not taking the drug, reported Mahyar Etminan, Pharm.D., and his associates at McGill University, Montreal. By looking for people aged 67-84...

Questions raised about late-life depression.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Executive dysfunction appears to have a mediating effect on the relationship between vascular risk and the development of late-life depression, Benjamin T. Mast, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Association for...

Nicotine replacement Tx gets boost from brochure.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Receiving an informational brochure may help patients better comply with nicotine replacement therapy, Beth Quinio Edwards said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and...

Counseling fails to increase rate of smoking cessation in bupropion users.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Providing counseling on smoking cessation did not boost quit rates in patients being treated with bupropion SR, Danielle E. McCarthy reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on...

Handheld computer may help smoking cessation.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A handheld device programmed with guidelines for smoking cessation and information on pharmacotherapy can be a useful tool for physicians trying to advise patients on quitting smoking, Dr. Scott Strayer said in a poster...

Bipolar illness often plagued by comordities, alcohol use.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Alcohol use and psychiatric comorbidity were found to be significant in a recent cohort of patients with bipolar disorder, Dr. E. Levander reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Addiction...

Maternal binge drinking tied to childhood problems: risk of behavior problems is 2.5 times higher for bingers' babies than for those exposed to less.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Binge drinking during pregnancy, but not the total amount of alcohol consumed, doubles the risk of mental retardation and delinquent behavior in children, Beth Nordstrom, Ph.D., reported in a series of posters at the annual...

Desire to 'come clean' can deter patients from useful medications.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- As the quest for effective pharmaceutical treatments for addiction disorders continues with few true successes, therapists must grapple with professional approaches that can be as varied as patient attitudes, Dr. Michael Scott...

Nicotine patch depends on genetics for effect--in women.(Addiction Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... Nicotine patch replacement therapy seems to be more effective in women who have a specific variant genotype. Such a genetic effect on response therapy was not seen in men, reported Dr. Patricia Yudkin and her associates of the University of...

Talking before sex may keep men HIV negative.(Community Psychiatry)
April 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Having extensive conversations with their male sex partners may protect men from contracting HIV, according to preliminary data of an ongoing study presented at a conference on STD prevention sponsored by the Centers for Disease...

Women aged 55 and older face higher lifetime risk of stroke.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Women aged 55 years and older have a 1 in 5 chance of developing a stroke during their lifetimes, while the risk among men in the same age group stands at 1 in 6, Dr. Sudha Seshadri reported at the 29th International Stroke...

Obstructive sleep apnea may increase risk of stroke twofold.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of the composite outcome of transient ischemic attack, stroke, or death by twofold, Dr. Klar Yaggi reported in a poster session at the 29th International Stroke Conference. Moreover,...

Brain imaging shows early Alzheimer-like changes.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
April 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Brain imaging techniques are giving researchers invaluable clues in the understanding of Alzheimer's disease well before symptoms appear. Such techniques may offer the chance to test promising ways to prevent the disorder...

Nonpain symptoms signal migraine for some.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Nearly one in six patients recognizes an imminent migraine attack even in the absence of pain, Dr. Richard B. Lipton reported at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. Although most patients in the multicenter study...

History is key to migraine-related dizziness Dx.(Pain Medicine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Suspect migraine as the possible cause of recurrent dizziness when the episodes of lightheadedness are associated with the headache syndrome more than 50% of the time, Dr. John G. Oas advised at a symposium sponsored by the...

Comorbidities are common with migraine: consider eating disorders, IBS, and mood disorders when treating women who complain of headaches.(Pain Medicine)(Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
April 1, 2004... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Women with migraines often have comorbid conditions that require coordination of care to address what may be intertwined problems, Dr. Lisa K. Mannix said at a meeting sponsored by the Diamond Headache Clinic. She...

Headache Tx is a challenge in pregnancy, postpartum period.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Headaches during pregnancy and the postpartum period are common, but challenges lie in considering safe diagnostic measures and the teratogenic risk of drugs when offering treatment, said Dr. Christine Lay at a symposium...

Tension headaches: a therapeutic challenge.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Daily tension-type headaches are difficult to treat, so it's important to diagnose them correctly and identify any comorbidities, Dr. Robert Kaniecki said at a meeting sponsored by the Diamond Headache Clinic. By...

Sinus headache pattern may be part of migraine spectrum.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Patients who think they have a sinus headache may actually be suffering from a migraine, Dr. Roger K. Cady said at a meeting sponsored by the Diamond Headache Clinic. Migraine presentations can vary in real-life...

Headache is rarely the only major symptom of sinusitis.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- A patient may complain of a "sinus" headache, but if the headache is that person's only or major symptom, the cause is almost never sinusitis, Dr. Howard L. Levine said at a meeting sponsored by the Diamond Headache...

For acute migraine, stratified care is good Tx strategy.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- Stratified care is the best treatment strategy for acute migraine, Dr. Lawrence C. Newman said at a symposium sponsored by the American Headache Society. This approach is better for both patient and physician than two...

Make headache screening part of fibromyalgia work-up.(Pain Medicine)
April 1, 2004... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Headaches are frequently part of the pathology of fibromyalgia. In a recent study of 57 patients with fibromyalgia, 75% had a history of chronic headaches, and of those patients, 86% said that the headaches had a...