Clinical Psychiatry News articles from February 2002

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from February 2002

Early abuse sparks cerebellar changes. (Pathway to Substance Abuse?).
February 1, 2002... Early stress and mistreatment are recognized risk factors for later substance abuse, and while neurobiologic alterations are assumed to play a role, the details remain uncertain. One recent study pointed toward an unlikely corner of the...

U.S. depression treatment rates up dramatically: Large number of educational campaigns may have made the difference. (10-year TX, Prescribing Data Compared).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... A significant increase during the past 15 years in the outpatient treatment of depression and in the use of prescribed medications has been documented for the first time in a survey of more than 67,000 Americans. Among the factors...

Drug shortages challenge long-term patient care: Number of products affected up sharply. ('Domino Effect').
February 1, 2002... In late December, Dr. Clifford Moy, clinical director of the Austin (Tex.) State Hospital, did something he almost never has to do: In consultation with attending physicians, he switched 17 patients from one drug--the antipsychotic quetiapine...

Congressional funding for mental health programs. (Vital Signs).
February 1, 2002... VITAL SIGNS Congressional Funding for Mental Health Programs 2001 2002 Percent (in million) Change National Institute of Mental Health ...

Long-term sertraline improves pediatric OCD. (47% Achieved Full Remission).(obsessive-compulsive disorder)
February 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Approximately half of 132 pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder achieved full remission in a 1-year, open-label trial of long-term treatment with sertraline, Dr. Edwin H. Cook Jr. reported in a poster presentation at...

Subjective criteria make bipolar diagnosis tricky. (Bipolar Disorder in Children).
February 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Diagnosticians could be divided into "lumpers" and "splitters" when it comes to diagnosing bipolar disorder in children, according to findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent...

Interferon tied to psychosis in hepatitis C patients. (Four of Six Patients Affected).
February 1, 2002... NEW YORK - The use of alpha interferon has long been associated with depression, but for the first time, patients enrolled in a clinical trial using alpha interferon to treat hepatitis C developed psychosis, Dr. Rosalind G. Hoffman reported at...

Densely populated areas may harbor more psychosis. (Dutch study of 7,076).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Dr. Jim van Os and his associates of Maastricht (the Netherlands) University, have found that people living in densely populated urban areas may be prone to developing symptoms of psychosis. The investigators conducted interviews with 7,076...

Timing of synaptic pathology may be a factor in schizophrenia. (Excitatory, Inhibitory Imbalance.).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... PITTSBURGH -- Researchers are increasingly finding microscopic clues that schizophrenia involves alterations in neuronal and synaptic circuits that connect the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and the mediodorsal thalamus-- the very "wiring" of...

Duloxetine dampens depression, comorbid pain. (Results of Three Trials).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- Duloxetine, a potent new serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, reduces the symptoms of major depressive disorder and decreases chronic, comorbid pain in depressed patients. The results of three trials were...

OIG urges Medicare to drop MMECT. (90871 Rarely Used).(Office of the Inspector General )(multiple monitored electroconvulsive therapy)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to consider not paying for most multiple monitored electroconvulsive therapy. OIG issued a...

Adrenergic blockers shortly after trauma can block PTSD. (Mood Stabilizer, Cbt also Help).(posttraumatic stress disorder)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Los ANGELES -- Prompt treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, ideally within a few hours of the traumatic event, may save the patient many years of suffering, Dr. Charles R. Marmar said at a psychopharmacology update sponsored by the...

Thermal imaging may help I.D. criminals, potential offenders. (Small Study).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Technology that detects deceit by revealing changes in blood flow patterns in the human face is easy to use and accurate enough for widespread security screening, said Ioannis Pavlidis, Ph.D., of Honeywell Laboratories, Minneapolis, and...

Panic disorder is highly chronic. (Relapse Likely).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- Panic disorder is highly chronic and likely to relapse when it remits, particularly if it is accompanied by agoraphobia, Dr. Steven Bruce said at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy. ...

Nefazodone labeling warns of Life-Threatening liver failure. (Drug Safety).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MIAMI -- The antidepressant nefazodone now carries a black box warning to alert prescribers and patients to the possibility of life-threatening liver failure. The Food and Drug Administration and the drug's manufacturer, Bristol-Myers...

First depression center, new treatment approach. (National Network Needed).
February 1, 2002... ANN ARBOR, MICH. -- The establishment of the nation's first comprehensive depression center at the University of Michigan will help pave the way for a national network of comprehensive depression centers and perhaps even a new approach to...

Depressive symptoms independently predict subsequent hypertension. (Ambulatory BP Monitored).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Depressive symptoms are an independent predictor of subsequent development of hypertension, Karina W. Davidson, Ph.D., said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. She reported on 283 adults,...

Practical psychopharmacology. (Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The cognitive cost of schizophrenia is not a new discovery: Decrements in such parameters as memory, attention, and executive function were noted in clinical descriptions of the disorder a century ago. And yet, clinical interest in this area...

Nitrous oxide may ease nicotine craving. (Small, 3-Day Study).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ATLANTA -- Administration of nitrous oxide substantially reduced nicotine cravings in a study of patients who were trying to quit smoking. Of 25 patients who inhaled a mixture of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen for 20 minutes on their...

Stimulants may benefit nonpsychotic dementia. (Useful Adjunct Therapy).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... BETHESDA, MD. -- Stimulants maybe useful adjunctive medications in some patients with dementia, but not if they have psychotic symptoms, Dr. Thomas Hyde said at a psychopharmacology update sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. ...

Short-Term risperidone cuts Tourette's tics. (More Study Needed).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Eight weeks of risperidone reduced tic frequency by 25% in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 34 children and adults with Tourette's syndrome, Lawrence Scahill, Ph.D., reported in a poster presentation at the...

Post-MI antidepressants don't help the heart. (Little Impact on Cardiovascular Outcomes).(myocardial infarction)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Antidepressant therapy after myocardial infarction or other serious cardiac events can definitely reduce the burden of depression, but it will likely have little impact on cardiac function or future cardiovascular risk, Dr....

Risperidone reduces relapse. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Risperidone is more effective than haloperidol in preventing a relapse of the symptoms of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, said Dr. John G. Csernansky of Washington University, St. Louis, and Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center...

Naltrexone and alcoholism. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Naltrexone combined with psychosocial treatment does not appear to reduce the risk of relapse in men with long-term, severe alcohol dependence, reported Dr. John H. Krystal of the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven,...

Clozapine and diabetes risk. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Clozapine was associated with a significant increase in the relative risk of diabetes and hyperlipidemia in patients with schizophrenia aged 20-34 years, said Brian C. Lund, Pharm.D., and his colleagues at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. ...

OCD and clomipramine. (Clinical Capsules).(obsessive-compulsive disorder )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A low blood concentration of cortisol and a low maximal blood concentration of prolactin on the first day of intravenous clomipramine therapy is a predictor of clinical response in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, reported Dr. Sanjay J....

Atypicals and mania. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A combination of risperidone and a mood stabilizer is significantly more effective for mania than combination treatment with a typical antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer, said Dr. Debra S. Miller and colleagues at the Univ. of British...

The struggle for meaning. (Guest Editorial).(physician commitment to practice)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... Maintaining physician commitment is one of the most urgent issues facing hospital administrators and medical educators. Unprecedented numbers of doctors are abandoning practice for administration or taking early retirement. In a recent...

Fink! still at large: Psychiatrists: Too many, or too few? (Opinion).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... There is an ongoing debate as to whether there are too many or too few practicing psychiatrists in the United States. Of more than 45,000 U.S. psychiatrists, only about 23,000 are actually practicing outpatient psychiatry. Yet, many jobs in the...

Letters.
February 1, 2002... Handcuffed by Managed Care All of us should applaud Surgeon General David Satcher's efforts to approach suicide as a public health problem ("MDs Can Do More to Cut Suicide Rate," June 2001, p. 1). A national strategy for suicide...

Watch rhabdomyolysis in substance abusers. (Inexpensive Test Available).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Greater awareness and an inexpensive screening test are key ways to prevent rhabdomyolysis, a serious and often unrecognized complication of alcohol and drug abuse, Dr. John Wilkaitis said at the annual meeting of the...

Regular care halts inpatient stays for drug users. (Regardless of HIV Status).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Regular outpatient medical and drug abuse care prevents hospitalizations among drug users regardless of whether or not they are HIV infected, reported Dr. Christine Laine of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and her associates. This...

Learning disorders sink some kids with ADHD. (Test for Processing Problems).(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Albert Einstein's third cousin was flunking fourth grade with an IQ of 148 when he was brought to Dr. Deborah R. Simkin for an evaluation. "This kid could go upstairs on the computer and come down with 60 pages on gene transfer...

Brief questions separate ADHD from epilepsy. (Behind Inattentive Stare).(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- A child who often stares inattentively could have epilepsy or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Telling the two apart is a challenge. Assessment of three behaviors made it possible to distinguish epilepsy from...

Violent video games may spur boys' aggression. (Behavioral Disorder Cases).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... BOSTON -- Boys with behavior disorders show a preference for violent video games, and chronic exposure to these games, and chronic exposure to these games appears to be associated with a decline in empathy, Dr. Jonathan Kaplan said at the...

Paraphilia Tx tied to BMD loss. (Routine Screening Advised).(bone mineral density)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MONTREAL -- A reduction in sexually deviant fantasies and urges is the goal in treating paraphilias, but the need to closely monitor patients for the loss of bone density associated with hormone suppressant therapy or surgical castration often...

Look for atypical CAD in women with chest pain. (Ascribed to Panic Disorder).(coronary artery disease)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Persistent chest pain in women without angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease appears to be a problem that's physiologic rather than psychological in origin, according to new findings from the Women's Ischemia...

Depression hits during, not after, pregnancy. (Cohort Study).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Depression during pregnancy is more common than postnatal depression, results of a large cohort study suggest. Of 9,028 women who completed four separately administered questionnaires focusing on the cognitive and affective features of...

Olfactory deficits key to Schizophrenia's pathology. (Noninvasive Observation Possible).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Important clues to nerve function in schizophrenic patients can be gleaned from study of the olfactory bulb and olfactory epithelium, Dr. Steven Arnold told the annual scientific symposium of the National Alliance for Research on...

Look to patient's ego defense for diagnostic clues. (Three-Step Approach).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- Analysis of a patient's ego defense mechanisms can provide valuable clues to diagnosis, Dr. Thomas P. Beresford said at the annual meeting of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Different defense mechanisms are...

Surprising data find mood disorders prevalent in juvenile murderers. (Maternal Psychiatric History).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... BOSTON -- Mood disorders were highly prevalent in a group of juvenile murderers, but psychosis and conduct disorder were not, Dr. Richard L. Frierson reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. This...

Unresponsive neonate, more maternal depression. (Low 'Orientation' Scores).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MADRID -- The seriously negative effects of maternal depression on infant development have been well documented, but the cause-and-effect relationship may actually be bidirectional: Certain neonatal characteristics could put the mother at...

Less risk to suicidal girls who pick support team. (Simple Intervention).
February 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Support teams which are nominated by suicidal adolescents helped to decrease suicidal ideation, internalizing behavior problems, and functional impairment among 179 adolescents who participated in a randomized, controlled trial,...

Relaxation therapy may ease tinnitus's impact. (Small Open Study).
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- A brief course of group therapy for tinnitus may significantly reduce the psychological distress and awareness of tinnitus, Brian W. Freidenberg reported at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior...

Reel life: Reflections on relationships, as revealed in the art of the filmmaker. (Psychotherapy).
February 1, 2002... Eric Rohmer is the last practitioner of Nouvelle Vague, a film style developed by French filmmakers who believed in film as an encounter between artist and audience, not as a studio product. Unlike his more famous colleagues, including Francois...

Prolonged exposure therapy works, debriefing does not. (In Trauma's Shadow).
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- Several sessions of prolonged exposure therapy in the weeks after a traumatic event have been shown to accelerate the process of recovery, Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the Association for Advancement of...

CBT works well for seasonal affective disorder. (Comparable to Light Therapy).(cognitive-behavioral therapy)
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- A cognitive-behavioral group therapy intervention appears as effective as light therapy for seasonal affective disorder, and the combination may be best of all, Kelly J. Rohan, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual...

Genetic screening: Patients should share decisions. (Form a Family 'Covenant').
February 1, 2002... SEATTLE -- Evidence-based medicine is overshadowing patient choice in efforts to counsel patients about genetic testing, Dr. Howard Brody said at a conference on patient education sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. ...

Prozac patent battle ends. (Policy Practice).
February 1, 2002... The U.S. Supreme Court denied Eli Lilly's petition to review a federal appeals court decision ruling in favor of generic drug manufacturer Barr Laboratories and paved the way for a generic form of Prozac. Lilly won an initial suit alleging that...

Pfizer wins Zoloft suicide suit. (Policy Practice).
February 1, 2002... Pfizer was not responsible for the suicide of a male patient who began taking Zoloft 6 days prior to taking his life, a U.S. District Court judge in California ruled in Motus v. Pfizer. The plaintiff, the patient's widow, alleged that Pfizer...

More teens get addiction tx. (Policy Practice).
February 1, 2002... Admissions to substance abuse treatment programs, which increased 20% among adolescents between 1994 and 1999, were fueled mainly by an increase in marijuana admissions. According to the latest HHS Treatment Episode Data Set report, four...

Public mental health demise. (Policy Practice).
February 1, 2002... Public mental health systems need to move away from ineffective service-delivery programs and stagnant bureaucracies to avoid total collapse. That was the warning from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Washington, in its new report...

Expanded use of brain implant. (Policy Practice).(Medtronic Inc.'s Activa Parkinson's Control System approved for stimulation of both sides of brain)
February 1, 2002... Last month the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a deep brain stimulator in both sides of the brain in patients with Parkinson's disease whose symptoms are not adequately controlled with medication. The device, Activa Parkinson's...

Kava investigation. (Policy Practice).(liver toxicity connection investigated)
February 1, 2002... The FDA is investigating whether kava is associated with liver toxicity Dietary supplements containing kava are promoted for a variety of uses, including relief of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Products...

Oregon's law paved way for discussion of end-of-life issues. (Few physician - assisted suicides).
February 1, 2002... ASHLAND, ORE. - Fewer than 1 in 1,000 deaths in Oregon has been the result of physician-assisted suicide since 1997, when a controversial law approving the practice was passed in the state legislature, Dr. Susan Tolle said at the annual meeting...

St. Paul leaves ailing malpractice market. (Insures 42,000 physicians).
February 1, 2002... St. Paul Companies' exit from the medical malpractice insurance market clearly demonstrates the need for federal tort reform legislation, some observers say. The insurance firm's decision will end coverage for 42,000 physicians, 745...

Good rapport, good results in drug counseling. (Enhance Counselor's Skills).
February 1, 2002... Patients who achieve better rapport with their counselors are likely to have a better outcome with drug abuse treatment than those who do not, reported George W. Joe, Ed.D., and his colleagues at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. ...

Women who stalk. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Female stalkers are less common than male stalkers, and generally differ in motivation and behavior, said Rosemary Purcell, M.Psych., of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Victoria, Australia, and her colleagues. In this...

OCD social impairment. (Clinical Capsules).(obsessive-compulsive disorder)
February 1, 2002... Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are as socially impaired as patients with schizophrenia prior to treatment, said Dr. Alexander Bystritsky of the University of California, Los Angeles, and his associates. However, a group of 31...

Preventing teen depression. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Children of depressed parents are at increased risk for depression, but group cognitive-behavioral therapy may prevent them from developing it, said Gregory N. Clarke, Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Ore. A...

Psychotic violence persists. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... More time spent case-managing psychotic patients does not reduce their violent episodes, said Dr. Elizabeth Walsh of Guy's, King's, and St. Thomas's School of Medicine, London (BMJ 323[7321]:1093-96, 2001). In a randomized, controlled trial,...

Men, women, and panic. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Women are significantly more likely than men to exhibit respiratory-related symptoms during panic, said Dr. Javaid I. Sheikh of Stanford (Calif.) University and his associates. Based on data from the National Comorbidity Survey 72% of 194...