Clinical Psychiatry News articles from January 2008

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from January 2008

Research needed on meth addiction.(Addiction Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... CORONADO, CALIF. -- When Dr. Andrew J. Saxon sees patients who are addicted to methamphetamine, two treatment possibilities come to mind. "If I'm treating a patient clinically, especially if they're using fewer than 15 days per month, I...

Adults who did not receive needed health care because they could not afford it.(VITAL SIGNS)
January 1, 2008... Adults Who Did Not Receive Needed Health Care Because They Could Not Afford It Age (years) 18-44 8.1% 45-64 7.7% [greater than or equal to]65 2.5% Note: Based on 2005 data from...

VA data reinforce need for treatment of sexual trauma: study results back mandatory screening.(News)
January 1, 2008... BALTIMORE -- A preliminary study of nearly 600,000 electronic medical records validates reports in the literature showing that about 20% of female and 1% of male Veterans Affairs patients have reported military sexual trauma. "Because...

DEA relaxes rule on multiple pain prescriptions.(News)
January 1, 2008... In a reversal, the Drug Enforcement Administration will now allow physicians to write up to three prescriptions for a 90-day supply of schedule II controlled substances. The final rule, published in late November, is viewed as a victory by...

Teens' illicit drug use still declining.(News)
January 1, 2008... The rates of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in the United States reporting illicit drug use are on the decline, with one exception: ecstasy. In addition, the reported rate of cigarette smoking among adolescents is at an all-time low, but...

Revised modafinil label cites psychiatric risks.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
January 1, 2008... Warnings about serious rashes--including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and hypersensitivity reactions--as well as psychiatric symptoms have been added to the label of modafinil, according to a MedWatch notice issued by the Food and Drug...

New conflict-of-interest rules set for advisory panel members.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
January 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration said it wants to require more public disclosure of advisory committee members' conflicts of interest and the information will be available on a new and improved Web site. The agency said it will also post...

Untangling fishing lines.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... The burgeoning science of macronutrients in medicine, neuroendocrinology, and psychiatry often is contradictory and confusing ("Fish May Be Adjunct for Postpartum Depression," November 2007, p. 16). Several factors may be contributing to...

Misconceptions about addiction.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... Physicians should be aware of buprenorphine as a new option for the treatment of opioid addiction, but Dr. James A. Cocores' comments are misleading ("Beware of Buprenorphine," Letters, August 2007, p. 15). It would be unfortunate if the...

The field is almost all PTSD.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... Since the last thing I learned in my psychiatric residency was that the major cause of mental illness is a separate bedroom for the infant, I was very pleased by the article "Latest Evidence on PTSD May Bring Changes in DSM-V" (November 2007,...

Quality gains at physicians' expense.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... The presentation of the initial findings from the Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration was certainly an interesting take on the results ("Incentives Yield Quality Gains in Medicare Demo," August 2007, p. 60). I found it of...

Correction.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2008... In an article published in CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS ("Beware of Adrenal Insufficiency With Atypicals," December 2007, p. 17), a case described by Dr. Violeta Tan and Dr. Natalie Rasgon should have said that the patient's condition improved...

Battling mental illness within our ranks.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
January 1, 2008... The prevalence of mental illness across the globe has reached alarming proportions. It's time that we addressed this problem within our own ranks. Psychiatrists are particularly vulnerable to mental illness. For example, the General...

Humanistic approach is vital in psychotherapy.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
January 1, 2008... In these highly technological, frequently impersonal times, the role of humanistic psychology is more important than ever. Battered by the vapid machinations of managed care, overreliance on the biochemical and pharmacologic, and the seductive...

A recent study showed that posttreatment gains with patients who have adjustment disorders could not be demonstrated. What kinds of treatments have you used with these patients?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
January 1, 2008... Few people with adjustment disorders consult a psychiatrist unless the difficulty with adjusting results in severe anxiety and/or depression. Most people adjust to difficult situations by using their defensive or coping mechanisms. If these...

Pharmacogenetics inform drug choice, dosage.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
January 1, 2008... Variable response is a fact of psychopharmacology. Patients receiving the same dosage of the same drug for the same disorder might recover, improve, remain unchanged, or develop intolerable (even life-threatening) side effects. ...

Combining ziprasidone, 500-kcal meal maximizes absorption.(Adult Psychiatry)(Medical condition overview)
January 1, 2008... VIENNA -- Taking oral ziprasidone with a meal of at least 500 kcal is necessary to minimize pharmacokinetic variability and optimize absorption, Dr. Sheldon H. Preskorn reported at the annual congress of the European College of...

Best practices in: practical treatment strategies for the successful management of bipolar disorder.(Disease/Disorder overview)
January 1, 2008... Patients with bipolar disorder present to clinicians in a wide variety of ways. Patients may complain of insomnia, irritability, low energy, or substance abuse. However, the most frequent presentation is depression. In primary care settings,...

Deep brain stimulation helps lift refractory OCD: early data suggest that DBS is effective, but adjunctive therapy is indispensable.(Adult Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... VIENNA -- Preliminary experience with electrical deep brain stimulation for refractory disabling obsessive-compulsive disorder indicates that while the treatment often results in an extraordinary reduction in symptoms, adjunctive psychotherapy...

Dissociation can be normal, unremarkable.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA -- Dissociation is not always a disorder. In fact, it occurs frequently in everyone, in the form of daydreaming and fantasy, and it can also be linked with a very positive affect. But when traumatic, high-stress...

Psychosocial therapy reduces bipolarity.(Adult Psychiatry)(Medical condition overview)
January 1, 2008... VIENNA -- A psychosocial intervention aimed at instilling greater regularity of daily routines in patients with bipolar disorder effectively protects against recurrences of both mania and depression, Ellen Frank, Ph.D., said at the annual...

Risperidone for bipolar maintenance.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
January 1, 2008... The Problem You have an adult patient with manic symptoms of bipolar disorder whose symptoms remit with risperidone monotherapy. After reviewing treatment options with him, he consents only to continued treatment with risperidone. (A...

The man who could fit on the head of a pin.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)(person with dissociative disorder)
January 1, 2008... Some years ago, an internist referred a man to me whose presenting problems included feeling like he was shrinking four or five times a day. This happened at work and in many social situations, especially when he was under stress. The...

Escitalopram shows balanced advantage over duloxetine for MDD.(Adult Psychiatry)(major depressive disorder)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... VIENNA -- Escitalopram proved significantly more effective and better tolerated than duloxetine in the acute treatment of major depressive disorder in a double-blind randomized trial of 278 patients, Anjana Bose, Ph.D., reported at the annual...

The art of Michael G. Moore.(VISIONARY ART)
January 1, 2008... Michael G. Moore emulates the work of Vincent van Gogh. But instead of using large, thick brush strokes, Mr. Moore uses dots--lots of them. "My painting is smoother," says Mr. Moore, who is also a sculptor. In the 1970s, Mr. Moore started...

Rate of ADHD medication use higher in young males.(DATA WATCH)
January 1, 2008... Rate of ADHD Medication Use Higher in Young Males Number of males aged Number of females aged 10-19 years per 1,000 10-19 years per 1,000 2001 56.9 20.4 2002 62.5 24.2 2003...

Stimulant useful for comorbid ADHD, bipolar.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... BOSTON -- Children and adolescents being treated for bipolar disorder and comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may benefit from the short-term use of adjunctive methylphenidate, a study has shown. The findings add to the...

Childhood traumatic grief must be addressed.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... BOSTON -- The assumption that toddlers and preschoolers are not emotionally affected by traumatic grief in the same way as older children and adults are is not only wrong, it's dangerous, according to Chandra Ghosh Ippen, Ph.D. Unaddressed...

Conduct problems tied to mothers' drinking.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... Prenatal alcohol exposure appears to cause later conduct problems in childhood, reported Dr. Brian M. D'Onofrio of Indiana University, Bloomington, and his associates. In contrast, the later attention and impulsivity problems seen in...

'Aging in place' program helps disabled thrive.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- A 5-year pilot program that provides collaborative support services for people who have developmental disabilities and dementia is helping to improve their quality of life, according to a presentation at a conference on dementia...

Tai chi appears to improve cognitive as well as physical functioning in older adults.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Medical condition overview)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Western and Eastern modes of exercise produced different improvements in physical functioning, and the Eastern exercise--tai chi--improved one measure of cognitive function in a year-long, randomized, controlled study of 132...

Personality disorders may worsen with age.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA -- When assessing an elderly patient with a personality disorder, it is important to identify which conditions are treatable and to set achievable goals with the patient, Erlene Rosowsky, Psy.D., said at a conference sponsored by...

Minimal ecstasy use linked to cognitive deficits.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... VIENNA -- Even a few low doses of the drug ecstasy were associated with a decline in verbal memory function in a unique prospective study of first-time users, Thelma Schilt said at the annual congress of the European College of...

Medical students not immune to club drug use.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... CORONADO, CALIF. -- One out of six medical students at a private Midwestern medical school reported prior use of at least one club drug, results from a survey found. "Therefore, physicians should be cognizant, when treating medical...

Proven cocaine dependence Tx also may work for meth.(Addiction Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... CORONADO, CALIF. -- Mounting evidence suggests that behavioral and psychosocial interventions proven successful for cocaine dependence--such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management--may work equally well for methamphetamine...

Decline in positive tests for cocaine in U.S. workforce.(DATA WATCH)
January 1, 2008... Decline in Positive Tests for Cocaine in U.S. Workforce Note: Based on 2006 and 2007 data from Quest Diagnostics. Source: Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

New test may better identify heavy drinkers.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... MIAMI -- Compared with gamma-glutamyl-transferase measures, a new test that uses a combination of 27 blood chemistry values identifies twice as many men and 50% more women who heavily consume alcohol. The finding of a study presented at the...

Heightened craving precedes smoking relapse.(Addiction Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Women appear to experience a 2- to 5-day period of heightened withdrawal and craving symptoms just prior to smoking relapse, offering what could be a golden opportunity for intervention, researchers reported at the annual...

Psychiatric patients more likely to exit ED early.(Community Psychiatry)(emergency department )
January 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Patients who present to the emergency department with a psychiatric chief complaint appear to be significantly more likely than those with a nonpsychiatric chief complaint to leave the emergency department before they have been...

Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)
January 1, 2008... The Incredible Years program is aptly named. In an effort to prevent, reduce, and intervene in aggression and emotional problems, the Incredible Years seeks to promote the emotional and social competence of young children. The wealth of...

Targeting early-onset conduct disorder.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... The most compelling argument in favor of interventions targeting children with early-onset externalizing disorders is the research documenting what happens in the absence of such intervention. Preschool and school-age children who meet the...

Neuropsych evaluation aids mild TBI diagnosis.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
January 1, 2008... MIAMI BEACH -- Mild traumatic brain injury can be controversial in both clinical and legal contexts. A conflict arises when patients report disability but neurologic exams appear normal. "There can be a mismatch between mild injury, a...

Pain relievers.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(Cartoon)
January 1, 2008... "I can't help it, doctor, I'm afraid of global warming."

Compliance a challenge for older epilepsy patients.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA -- Compliance with antiepileptic drugs was worse in the elderly than in younger patients, and noncompliant patients were more likely to have serious sequelae including death, based on results from two separate studies. ...

Investigational device promising for uncontrolled seizures.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
January 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- The RNS System, an investigational device that delivers responsive stimulation to the brain of patients with uncontrolled seizures, shows promise in clinical trials, but the technical learning curve is currently steep, Dr. Ryder...

Psychiatric issues can loom large in HIV.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- The neurologic and psychiatric aspects of HIV should be treated at least as aggressively as the impact of the disease on the liver, lungs, and heart, Dr. Marshall Forstein said at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute...

Medications used to treat HIV may alter absorption of others.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- For neurologic and psychiatric issues in HIV patients, several factors should be considered, Dr. Marshall Forstein said at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute on Psychiatric Services. Psychopharmacology should...

Patient awareness is key to night-eating diagnosis.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
January 1, 2008... MONTREAL -- When night eating becomes pathological, with harmful effects on sleep and body weight, it is important to differentiate between sleep-related eating disorder and night-eating syndrome, said Dr. Jonathan Fleming, a psychiatrist at...

FDA not yet ready to get behind the counter.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration has no immediate plans to seek establishment of a new, behind-the-counter class of drugs, agency officials said at the conclusion of a day-long meeting on the topic in November. FDA Deputy...

FDA warning on Effexor.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration has warned Wyeth Pharmaceuticals that a journal ad for Effexor XR (venlafaxine) was misleading because it overstated the drug's efficacy, made unsubstantiated superiority claims, and minimized its risks. Effexor...

Psych disorders = more drug use.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2008... Men who have a psychiatric diagnosis tend to have higher rates of daily substance abuse, compared with peers who do not have a co-occurring diagnosis, according to a survey of men admitted to hospitals in 2005. The DASIS (Drug and Alcohol...

Access reduced by cost.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Forty million Americans can't get access to needed health care, and 20% said the main reason was because they could not afford the services, according to a report issued in December by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Health,...

FDA can't fulfill mission.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2008... Three members of the FDA Science Board issued a damning report on the state of the agency, saying that "the agency suffers from serious scientific deficiencies and is not positioned to meet current or emerging regulatory responsibilities." The...

Agency's approval plan flawed.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... FDA is considering new guidance that would allow drug companies to use journal articles to promote "potentially dangerous uses" of drugs and medical devices without prior FDA review and approval, according to a top lawmaker. Rep. Henry Waxman...

A New Year's psychedelic ghost opera.(THE ETHICAL WAY)
January 1, 2008... The headline above should pique your curiosity. Is it just an attention-seeking device? Is the column a libretto for a psychiatric opera? No, not really, unless you consider my life and career as described in last year's columns to be a soap...

Physicians get 6-month reprieve from pay cut.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2008... In what has become a year-end tradition, last-minute congressional action has staved off deep cuts to the Medicare physician fee schedule. The 2007 version means physicians won't feel the pinch of a 10.1% pay cut under Medicare; instead,...

McCain opposes mandating insurance coverage.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2008... For Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), having health insurance is desirable but not mandatory. "I don't think there should be a mandate for every American to have health insurance," the Republican presidential hopeful said at a forum on health...

Mental health stigma Web site.(FYI)
January 1, 2008... The online resource center to address discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness has been revamped and includes a new library of more than 600 sources. The site is designed to help individuals and organizations counter...

Funds for youth programs.(FYI)
January 1, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for agreements to fund home- and community-based services for emotionally disturbed children and their families. SAMH-SA...

Text message reminders.(FYI)
January 1, 2008... The Smile Reminder service reduces no-shows by reminding patients of appointments via a text message to a cell phone or e-mail account. The service also notifies patients to schedule follow-up appointments and allows doctors to send...

Medicaid and mental health report.(FYI)
January 1, 2008... A new report provides a state-by-state analysis of how Medicaid agencies are exercising their responsibilities for mental health services. The report includes the results of telephone interviews conducted in 50 states and the District of...

Consumer-run mental health centers.(FYI)
January 1, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded grants totaling $5.4 million to five consumer and consumer-supporter technical assistance centers. These centers will teach consumers how to lead consumer-run mental...

In the mood for mania.(REEL LIFE)
January 1, 2008... In the film "Michael Clayton" morality is at odds with corporate and individual self-interest, a familiar theme given fresh life thanks to a fine script and good acting. This movie also features a terrific depiction of mania. The title...