Clinical Psychiatry News articles from January 2007

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from January 2007

Protocol targets frontal cortex.(News)
January 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- Researchers at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute are using the tools of neuroimaging to modernize electro-convulsive therapy for severe depression and other psychiatric disorders. By applying...

Congress delays physician pay cuts in last-minute fix: Medicare fees could drop 5%-10% in 2008.(News)
January 1, 2007... In one of its last actions, the 109th Congress approved a sweeping tax and health bill that included a 1-year delay in the scheduled cut in physician fees under the federal Medicare program. In 2007, physicians were due to see a 5%...

Panel backs expanding label on antidepressants.(News)
January 1, 2007... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- Psychiatrists remain concerned about any additions to the black box warning on antidepressants but hail recommendations made by a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel calling for labeling highlighting the risks and...

FDA issues advisory on methadone.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
January 1, 2007... Reports of deaths, cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory depression, and other serious adverse events in people treated with methadone for pain prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a public health advisory and revise its prescribing...

Citalopram bests placebo in depressed CAD patients.(News)(coronary artery disease)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2007... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- A randomized, multicenter Canadian trial testing interpersonal psychotherapy and citalopram in 284 depressed patients with stable coronary artery disease produced mixed results, investigators reported at the annual meeting of...

Can the treatment of depression prevent deaths from heart disease?(News)
January 1, 2007... Without firm evidence that treating depression can improve survival in cardiac patients, Dr. Nancy Frasure-Smith, a CREATE investigator, described the current status of depression as a cardiac risk factor as "very reminiscent of the pre-statin...

FDA approves extended-release drug for schizophrenia.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
January 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- A new agent for the treatment of schizophrenia, paliperidone extended release, effectively controlled symptoms and improved function among severely ill patients in a post-hoc analysis of data from three double-blind studies. ...

Group wants Medicare to help reduce disparities.(News)
January 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- As one of the biggest and most influential payers in medicine, Medicare should use its clout to help reduce and eliminate the disparities in care for racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report from an independent panel of...

Teens' illicit drug use down, 2006 data show.(News)(Survey)
January 1, 2007... More U.S. teens are saying no to illicit drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol, but they are abusing prescription drugs at about the same rate they did last year, the 2006 Monitoring the Future Survey shows. The annual assessment of adolescent...

Universal HIV screening may overload system: one expert says that the current CDC budget for HIV prevention is already short by $350 million.(News)(Human Immunovirus)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
January 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- New recommendations to test routinely for HIV in all patients aged 13-64 years would overburden the U.S. health care system with newly diagnosed patients unless additional funding is provided, experts said at a press briefing by...

Youngest recruits have more psych evacuations: those with service in Iraq, Afghanistan 'with not much time in theater' may need special attention.(News)
January 1, 2007... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- A records review of 1,264 consecutive psychiatric evacuees from Iraq and Afghanistan found the youngest members of the armed forces to be at greatest risk of removal for psychiatric causes. Female, Hispanic, and African...

Psychiatric disorders common in Royal Australian Navy.(News)
January 1, 2007... HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. -- A large study of military recruits has determined that almost half developed a psychiatric disorder after joining military service. In addition, the study suggests that if the serviceman receives mental health and social...

Primary care role key in postwar mental illness.(News)
January 1, 2007... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Primary care physicians have a key role to play in screening soldiers and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, Col. Charles C. Engel, MC, USA, said at the annual meeting of...

ECT may beat rTMS for severe depression.(News)(electroconvulsive therapy)(Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is not as effective a treatment for severe depression as is electroconvulsive therapy, a new study shows. Previous studies have suggested that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)...

Unipolar depression may require different tack.(News)
January 1, 2007... MENDOZA, ARGENTINA -- The use of antidepressants may not be effective for long-term treatment of unipolar depression, and may actually be harmful, Dr. Ulrik Malt reported at the 6th World Congress of Depressive Disorders. "There are no...

Prevention is the future.(ADVISER'S VIEWPOINT)(Editorial)
January 1, 2007... Editors' Note: In our continuing effort to serve readers by discussing ideas that will help move the specialty forward, the Editorial Advisory Board members of CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS will offer their perspectives over the next year on what...

Child psychiatry 'left behind'.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... In the era when integration, continuity, and collaboration spell out effective evidence-based medicine, child psychiatry has been left behind. The medical home model, for example, conspicuously excludes the profession. While the rest of...

Talking with patients about CFS.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... The article "CDC Campaign Targets Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" (December 2006, p. 52) summarized the most effective medical approaches to treatment. I find that a long conversation reviewing the physiologic changes involved in CFS is effective....

Medicine must take responsibility.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... It was with dismay that I read "IOM Asks Congress to Rescue Emergency Care" (August 2006, p. 78). Organized medicine cannot turn to Congress to solve its problems in the emergency department and then complain about the regulations it...

More on combination units.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Dr. Michael J. Serby provided a valuable reminder of the need for more inpatient units of this kind ("A Case for Medical-Psychiatric Units" (Inpatient Practice, October 2006, p. 71). One highly regarded service not cited in Dr. Serby's...

Schizophrenia, substance use need integrated Tx: take into account the possible synergistic effects between antipsychotics and drugs of abuse.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
January 1, 2007... People with schizophrenia are highly likely to have a substance use disorder as well: The lifetime prevalence of nearly 50% is three times the rate in the general population (J. Clin. Psychiatry 2006;67[suppl. 7]:31-5). "It tends to be...

Genetic testing spots risk for antipsychotic adverse events.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
January 1, 2007... NEW YORK--Pharmacogeetic testing for deficiencies in he cytochrome P450-2D6 enyme may be useful in predicting which patients are at increased risk for the development of adverse events during treatment with aripiprazole, according to Dr. Anton...

The art of Anthony Ballard.(VISIONARY ART)
January 1, 2007... Long before computer graphics became the norm, many designers, illustrators, and draftsmen used Rapidograph pens to draw solid, flowing lines of specified widths. Rapidograph pens are extremely versatile, demand very little hand pressure,...

Who's treating depression?(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
January 1, 2007... Depression screening is becoming a mainstay in general medical evaluations, and this is a positive development, considering its prevalence and power. Depression is one of the four leading causes of disabilities and disease throughout the world,...

Depression screening program saves money for employers.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
January 1, 2007... For employers, the savings generated by a low-intensity depression screening and management program for workers more than offset the costs, according to Dr. Philip S. Wang of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and his associates. The...

Panic affects diabetes outcomes.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Panic episodes are strongly associated with worsened disease status and poorer functioning in patients with diabetes, said Evette Ludman, Ph.D. Dr. Ludman and colleagues surveyed patients included in their population-based diabetic...

English initiative for greater choice.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... English mental health patients will be able to choose a wider variety of settings to access treatment and may be able to receive direct payments so they can purchase the care that they need, under a new initiative announced in November by the...

Lose the cigarettes, gain diabetes.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Older men and women who were once heavy smokers have a significantly higher risk of diabetes and obesity than do nonsmokers or current light smokers, according to Tommi Sulander of Finland's National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, and...

Health concerns common in anxiety disorders.(Adult Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Health anxiety is a prominent feature of all types of anxiety disorders, Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. "Health concerns are present across...

Polymorphism and Depression in HCV patients.(Adult Psychiatry)(hepatitis C virus )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Preliminary results from a genomic study of patients infected by the hepatitis C virus suggest that a polymorphism in the interferon receptor promoter region could be a biomarker for predicting who will develop depression when...

Caring for the involuntarily hospitalized patient: what is the best way to approach the delivery of psychiatric services to acutely ill patients who are under involuntary commitment?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
January 1, 2007... Our readers share their approaches: Richard G. Pugliese, M.D., of Middletown, Conn., emphasizes the importance of frank exchange of information with his patient to avoid the need for a hearing. My experiences with involuntary...

Autonomy is critical for teens with ADHD: make adolescents partners in terms of deciding whether, or when, they will take their medications.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
January 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder need to be listened to by their physicians and given a sense of being in control of their lives and their therapy, Dr. Howard Schubiner said at the annual meeting of the...

Comorbidities affect preschoolers' response to ADHD therapy.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Preschool children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who had three or more co-morbid disorders responded less favorably to 5 weeks of methylphenidate treatment, compared with children who had fewer comorbid disorders,...

Childhood apnea may exact cognitive loss.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... MONTREAL -- Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea may have lifelong physiologic and cognitive consequences even after it is successfully treated, according to Dr. David Gozal, professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville (Ky.). ...

Hyperbaric oxygen benefits children with brain injury.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Medical condition overview)
January 1, 2007... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves cognitive and social function in children with chronic brain injury, according to a study presented at a symposium on hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Daily living, socialization,...

HBOT may lead to improved cognition in cerebral palsy.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(hyperbaric oxygen therapy)
January 1, 2007... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improves cognition for children with cerebral palsy, compared with standard therapy alone, according to an open, ongoing, observational study. All participants...

Narcissism affects many impaired physicians.(Addiction Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... MENDOZA, ARGENTINA -- Physicians with addictions to alcohol, drugs, or gambling--or those charged with sexual misconduct--generally do well in overcoming their problems with good treatment, Dr. Gregory Collins reported at the Sixth World...

Harm reduction proves popular with crack users.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Harm-reduction programs that use clean needle exchanges and other measures to limit the spread of HIV infection among injection heroin users also can educate crack users about safer crack-smoking materials, according to a Canadian...

Tenfold increase seen in abuse of OTC cold drug.(Addiction Psychiatry)(over the counter)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Cases of dextromethorphan abuse reported to the California Poison Control System increased 10-fold in all age groups--and increased 15-fold in adolescents--between 1999 and 2004, said Jodi K. Bryner, Pharm.D., of the University of California,...

Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)(neuroleptic medication for psychosis)
January 1, 2007... In the old days, "neuroleptic" medication was prescribed not only for psychosis, but also for other conditions that required a major tranquilizer, such as delirium and other behavioral disturbances, including affective disorders. Today, we...

Adopting person-centered care in nursing homes.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
January 1, 2007... Too often, nursing home residents with dementia are inappropriately medicated with antipsychotic drugs, several recent reports have shown. One large study of Medicare beneficiaries showed that more than one-quarter of nursing home residents...

Absence of precedent may limit use of SPECT.(Forensic Psychiatry)(Single-photon emission computed tomography)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Single-photon emission computed tomography may be considered useful in evaluating suspected sequelae from minor traumatic brain injury, but numerous issues must be considered before ordering a SPECT scan in the forensic setting, Dr....

State laws deficient in dealing with predators.(Forensic Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- The confinement of sex offenders using general commitment statutes is eroding the distinction between those who need treatment for mental illness and those needing treatment for sex-offending risk, Dr. Roger M. Harris reported at the...

Substance use by female sex offenders: a peek at reality.(Forensic Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Female sex offenders should be evaluated for substance abuse no less rigorously than are male sex offenders, Dr. R. Gregg Dwyer said at a poster session of the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. ...

Women in jail receptive to substance abuse treatment.(Forensic Psychiatry)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Incarcerated women with substance abuse or dependence disorders are highly receptive to treatment while in jail, according to a poster study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. "We...

Pramipexole approved for restless legs syndrome: dopamine agonists were already considered first-line treatment.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(drug approvals)
January 1, 2007... While misdiagnosis of restless legs syndrome remains common, the Food and Drug Administration has increased the agents available to treat this movement disorder by approving the dopamine agonist pramipexole for moderate to severe cases. ...

Violent video games alter brain functioning in imaging study.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Adolescents who play violent video games demonstrate distinct alterations in brain activation on functional magnetic resonance imaging, investigators have shown for the first time. In a study of 44 healthy adolescents, the...

Develop strategy to halt overuse of pain Meds.(Pain Medicine)
January 1, 2007... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Withdrawing patients from overused headache medications is long, hard work for them, but it can be accomplished with strong physician support, Dr. Todd D. Rozen told clinicians at a symposium sponsored by the American...

Pharmacists have misconceptions about chronic pain management.(Pain Medicine)(Survey)
January 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- Pharmacists who dispense in the community tend to be skeptical about patients who require chronic medication with controlled substances, according to a survey of pharmacists practicing in both urban and rural areas of Alabama. ...

Behavioral therapies address factors underlying migraine.(Pain Medicine)
January 1, 2007... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Misconceptions and other barriers to behavioral therapy limit headache patients' access to potentially beneficial nonpharmacologic treatments, Donald B. Penzien, Ph.D., said at a symposium sponsored by the American Headache...

Sildenafil eases diabetic neuropathy in small study.(Pain Medicine)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Sildenafil may be useful in treating the pain of diabetic neuropathy, Dr. Thomas Brannagan reported in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Dr....

Methadone used for pain linked to sleep apnea: the sleep-disordered breathing seen in baby boomers being treated for chronic pain is severe.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2007... Dr. Amanda A. Beck and her colleagues were puzzled by some of their patients at the University of New Mexico's Sleep Disorders Center in Albuquerque. The patients took methadone, but they did not have histories of drug abuse. They were...

Caffeine associated with improved cognition in apnea patients.(Psychosomatic Medicine)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- Increased caffeine intake was associated with better cognitive functioning in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, according to the results of a small study. In 42 patients with untreated obstructive sleep apnea, a...

Perfectionism predicts eating disorder risk.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in female college students who also have body dissatisfaction are important factors putting these women at risk for eating disorders, Christina A. Downey said at the annual meeting...

Rage linked to arrhythmias and shocks from defibrillators.(Psychosomatic Medicine)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Episodes of extreme anger were linked to ventricular arrhythmias and shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators in a study with more than 1,000 patients. Although the findings do not prove that severe anger triggers...

Sleep maintenance problems predominate in elderly insomniacs.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2007... PARIS -- Pooled data from two clinical trials of eszopiclone suggest that elderly insomniacs have more difficulty staying asleep than falling asleep, Judy Caron, Ph.D., reported at the annual congress of the European College of...

Medical schools just say no to drug reps' gifts.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2007... SACRAMENTO -- Another medical school has joined what could be a growing movement to ban faculty and residents from accepting gifts from drug company representatives. The University of California, Davis, Health System decided in late...

VA underspent on mental health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Veterans Affairs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to spend all of the funds planned for expanding mental health services to veterans in 2005 and 2006, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. In the report, GAO...

Underage drinking legislation.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Congress has passed legislation aimed at curbing teen drinking and better coordinating the efforts of federal agencies in this area. The legislation, the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act (H.R. 864), was expected to be...

Support for the drug czar.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Members of Congress signaled their support for the White House Office of National Drug Policy by voting to authorize the office for another 5 years. The legislation, H.R. 6344, also reauthorizes the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign and...

Mental health research grants.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A mental health research funding organization awarded a total of $19 million to support studies on the causes, treatment, and prevention of severe mental illnesses in 2006. NARSAD: The Mental Health Research Association awarded grants to 273...

Von Eschenbach confirmed for FDA.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Almost 9 months after he was first nominated to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach was finally confirmed by the Senate by an 80-11 vote in the wee hours of the 109th Congress. Confirmation came after...

My new year's ethical resolutions.(THE ETHICAL WAY)(Editorial)
January 1, 2007... Editors' Note: Ethical issues are paramount in all medical specialties, but they seem to take on added significance in psychiatry. That's why CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS is starting a new monthly column, The Ethical Way, which will be written by...

Opinions vary widely on financial disclosures.(Practice Trends)(Survey)
January 1, 2007... Officials in charge of disclosing financial interests in research agree that disclosure is important, but are confused about how to do so effectively and appropriately, Kevin P. Weinfurt, Ph.D., and his colleagues reported. Their survey of...

New JCAHO safety goal: identify suicide risks.(Practice Trends)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
January 1, 2007... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- As of this month, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has made the identification of patients who are at risk for suicide one of its patient safety goals for behavioral health care. Yet little...

Suboxone for opiate withdrawal in the hospital.(INPATIENT PRACTICE)
January 1, 2007... Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, originally was developed for outpatient psychiatric practice. However, the hospital setting just might be ideal for treating inpatients who have opiate addiction with Suboxone. This...

Survey addresses location, practice patterns of pain specialists.(Practice Trends)(Survey)
January 1, 2007... SAN ANTONIO -- Lack of nearby pain practices helps explain why only about 5% of U.S. adults with chronic pain ever see a pain specialist, Brenda Breuer, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Pain Society. The finding comes from...

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on ...(REEL LIFE)(Movie review)
January 1, 2007... "The Up Series" is a British television project that has tracked 14 individuals across the lifespan since 1963, when they were 7 years old. Michael Apted helped select subjects and did research for the first film, "Seven Up!" (1964). There was...

Palliative care to be recognized as subspecialty: physicians in psychiatry and other specialties may be able to take certification examination by 2008.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2007... The field of palliative care took a major step forward last year, when members of the American Board of Medical Specialties voted to approve hospice and palliative medicine as a recognized subspecialty. The application to recognize the...

Facial photo capture could prevent errors.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Electronic bar codes and radiofrequency microchips are all the rage in medical error prevention, but one research team thinks avoiding mistakes may be as easy as snapping a photo. Researchers with the MedStar Health network...

Brochure on substance abuse and HIV.(FYI)(human immunovirus)
January 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is offering a new brochure, "Drugs, Alcohol and HIV/AIDS: A Consumer Guide," in English and Spanish. The publication is for substance abuse treatment program clients who may engage...

Extended-release phenytoin capsules.(FYI)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Extended phenytoin sodium capsules are indicated for seizures related to epilepsy and neurosurgery. The 100-mg extended-release generic capsules are the bioequivalent of Dilantin Kapseals (Pfizer). For more information, contact Taro...

Child health web site unveiled.(FYI)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has unveiled its redesigned Web site. The Web site is a portal to a wide array of information for patients and scientists--from child health to developmental disorders to women's...

SAMHSA grants awarded.(FYI)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded 16 grants amounting to $145 million over a 5-year period to community-based programs for preventing substance abuse and mental illness. For more information, visit...

Introduction to CAM.(FYI)(complementary and alternative medicine)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has online information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The general information on CAM outlines the differences between complementary medicine and alternative...

Grants for mental health centers.(FYI)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has announced the availability of funds for grants to promote consumer-directed approaches for adults with serious mental illnesses. A total of $1.8 million will be available to fund...

Grants for treating homeless.(FYI)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded a series of grants totaling $49 million to expand and strengthen treatment services for homeless people. Centers in the Treatment for Homeless program will receive 23...

New Kadian dose approved.(FYI)(drug approvals)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has approved an 80-mg capsule of Kadian, a sustained-release morphine sulfate product. The drug currently is available in 20-, 30-, 50-, 60-, and 100-mg doses. The new dose should be available during the fourth...