Clinical Psychiatry News articles from May 2007

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from May 2007

As America ages, AAGP issues alert.(News)(American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry)(demand for geriatric psychiatrists)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- The aging of America will increase the demand for geriatric psychiatrists, yet the profession is struggling to recruit new physicians and practices are barely staying afloat in the face of declining fees, Dr. Gary Moak said at...

Seroquel led antipsychotics sales in 2006.(VITAL SIGNS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Seroquel Led Antipsychotics Sales in 2006 Seroquel 26% Risperdal 22% Zyprexa 21% Abilify 17% Geodon 6% Others 8% Total Market: $11.6 billion Note: Based on the wholesale prices of prescription...

Antidepressants' benefits outweigh risks for children: meta-analysis results seen as reassuring.(News)
May 1, 2007... The latest study looking at the impact of antidepressant treatments on children and adolescents should be reassuring to physicians and parents because it is another indication that prescribing the medications outweighs the risks of not doing...

Assume resilience, not pathology, after disaster.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- The first principle of psychiatric assistance for survivors of a disaster--and the principle most often overlooked--is that most people do not become psychiatrically ill afterward, Dr. Carol S. North said. She and...

Support wavers for brain stimulation.(News)(treating chronic depression)
May 1, 2007... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Two of the newer brain stimulation treatments for chronic depression took hits from the federal government in recent actions, Dr. William McDonald said at the annual meeting of the American College of Psychiatrists. ...

ADHD prodrug may help high-risk patients.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
May 1, 2007... Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate is the newest extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young children. It was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of...

Parkinson's drug Permax withdrawn from market.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The manufacturers of the Parkinson's therapy Permax (pergolide) on March 29 agreed to take the dopamine agonist off the market as soon as possible, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which sought the recall. The FDA was spurred...

Provigil maker cited after promotion of unapproved 'fatigue' indication.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
May 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to the manufacturer of modafinil about promoting the drug for the treatment of fatigue associated with some neurologic and psychiatric disorders for which it is not approved. ...

FDA calls for expanded warnings on antidepressants.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2007... The warnings of an increased risk for suicidality in pediatric patients that appear on the labels of antidepressants should be expanded to include young adults aged 18-24 years but should include a statement saying that depression also is...

More on the state of psychiatry.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I'd like to share some of my thoughts regarding Dr. Paul J. Fink's discussion about the 15-year-old boy who was kidnapped and held for 4 years in Missouri (Fink! Still at Large, March 2007, p. 28). Indeed, what happened to Shawn Horn-beck...

Mandated treatments don't work.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Dr. Robert D. Martin admirably champions the positive impact of treatment on addiction--alcohol dependency more specifically ("Expand Commitment for Alcoholism," Guest Editorial, March 2007, p. 10). The crucial point I feel he misses is...

A nonsolution to alcoholism.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I recently read Dr. Robert D. Martin's guest editorial saying that we should be able to remand alcoholism patients to inpatient rehabilitation facilities ("Expand Commitment for Alcoholism," Guest Editorial, March 2007, p. 10) and was moved to...

Bullying in psychiatry must stop.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
May 1, 2007... We talk a lot in psychiatry about the importance of bringing a halt to bullying in the context of patient care. However, I would like to address the problem of bullying as it hits much closer to home--among ourselves, within our own specialty....

Group therapy not for all cancer patients.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
May 1, 2007... As we know, treating the emotional aspects of cancer is an integral part of cancer care. Sometimes, group therapy can help these patients process their feelings about what is happening to them in a way that can prove beneficial. But group...

Are opioids an appropriate treatment for chronic nonmalignant pain?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
May 1, 2007... Manage opioids closely and be realistic. Despite almost universal acceptance in acute and cancer pain treatment, opioids have been avoided for treating chronic nonmalignant pain. However, that tide began to turn in the 1990s, and with good...

Try D-cycloserine and exposure therapy for OCD: experimental approach also achieves long-term results in treatment of social anxiety disorder.(Adult Psychiatry)(obsessive compulsive disorder)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... ST. LOUIS -- The experimental concept of improving the treatment of anxiety disorders by combining exposure therapy with a medication got a boost from two pilot studies presented at the annual conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of...

Strategies offered for helping caregivers of OCD patients.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... ST. LOUIS -- Millions of families in America are struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder and, in many cases, fighting a losing battle against frustration, exhaustion, and anger, according to experts from the Menninger Clinic in Houston...

Transference-focused therapy eases borderline.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder produced some beneficial changes not seen with two other forms of therapy in a randomized controlled study of 90 patients, Kenneth N. Levy, Ph.D.,...

Acute stress disorder may predict ongoing impairment.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Burn patients who demonstrate symptoms of acute stress disorder during hospitalization are more likely to report chronic pain and impaired psychosocial functioning during the first year of recovery than those who do not, Gina...

The murders at Virginia Tech by a man who should have been under mental health care raise a question for psychiatry: what can we do to prevent such tragedies?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
May 1, 2007... The Virginia Tech murder rampage is a very dark page in the history of this country. For days after the rampage, the media was full of programs, articles, and editorials related to the shootings. We could not escape the horror and pain...

Intake of fats, carbs can affect mood disorders.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... MENDOZA, ARGENTINA -- The type of dietary fat and the relative amounts of fat and carbohydrates consumed in a normal diet can have a significant effect on mood disorders, Dr. Eva Albertsen Malt reported at the 6th World Congress of Depressive...

Root of impulsive aggression may justify meds.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- A neurobiologic basis for impulsive aggression in patients with personality disorder lends itself to pharmacologic therapy, Dr. Emil F. Coccaro said at the annual meeting of the American College of Psychiatrists. ...

What's in a personality?(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
May 1, 2007... A few years ago, I wrote a column about renaming borderline personality disorder ("'Borderline' Label Needs a New Name," The Psychiatrist's Toolbox, July 2004, p. 30) and I received a great deal of mail on the subject. I still can't understand...

Intervention improves cognition in schizophrenia.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- A recovery-phase intervention that is designed to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia has shown significant and durable benefits, Shaun M. Eack said at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute on Psychiatric...

Cardiovascular disease is top cause of death in schizophrenia.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... MADRID -- The largest single cause of death among patients with schizophrenia is cardiovascular disease, Dr. Stefan Leucht reported at the 15th European Congress of Psychiatry. Cardiovascular disease has this impact on schizophrenia...

Most patients have discussed health information found online with their physicians.(DATA WATCH)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Most Patients Have Discussed Health Information Found Online With Their Physicians Always 13% Sometimes 21% Once or twice 19% Never 48% Note: Based on a poll of 1,020 adults surveyed during July 5-11,...

Depression more severe, Tx less likely in blacks.(Adult Psychiatry)(treatment)(Survey)
May 1, 2007... Black Americans with major depressive disorder experience greater disease severity than their white counterparts but are more likely not to receive treatment, David R. Williams, Ph.D., and his colleagues reported. Those findings, from the...

Mirror neurons may have a role in emotional processing.(Adult Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... MADRID -- Mirror neurons fired when study subjects observed someone else performing an action, suggesting that those same neurons may also be active in emotional processing, Jess Kinross said in a poster presented at the 15th European Congress...

The art of Katie Miller.(VISIONARY ART)
May 1, 2007... Katie Miller may be only 23, but she already is comfortable with both the creative and business sides of the art world. She knew early on that she would pursue a career as a professional artist, so she worked hard to become comfortable with...

Anonymity of Internet emboldens predators.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- The Internet is expanding the number of sexual predators who prey on children, because the anonymity of the computer allows these individuals to start indulging their fantasies actively with impunity, several speakers said at a...

Therapy for PTSD may help troubled youth.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(post traumatic stress disorder)
May 1, 2007... ST. LOUIS -- A short course of therapy lasting less than a week may significantly reduce posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for youths in short-stay facilities, Adrianna R. Wechsler reported at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders...

Antidepressants may benefit prepsychotic teens.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... Treatment with antidepressants kept adolescent patients in the prepsychotic phase of schizophrenia from progressing to full psychosis or bipolar disorder more effectively than did treatment with antipsychotics, said Barbara A. Cornblatt, Ph.D.,...

Frequency of Tx does not affect response in OCD.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder responded equally well to daily and weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy, Eric A. Storch, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Florida, Gainesville, have reported. To...

Palliative care, inpatient psych urged to consult.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- Collaboration between palliative care and the psychiatric inpatient unit can greatly improve mental health care for nursing home residents with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, according to presenters at the...

Dementia care: go beyond patient.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... BALTIMORE -- Supportive care for patients with dementia and their caregivers is an important component of overall dementia care, Dr. Constantine G. Lyketsos said at a meeting on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders sponsored by Johns...

Depression care moving into patients' homes.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Several home care organizations affiliated with hospitals in the New York metropolitan area have determined that nurses trained to screen for depression and to offer interventions can effectively improve outcomes in home-bound...

Disulfiram, vaccine may curb cocaine addiction.(Addiction Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... MENDOZA, ARGENTINA -- Two promising pharmacotherapies are currently in clinical trials for treatment of cocaine dependence: disulfiram and a vaccine consisting of a cocaine-cholera toxin complex, Dr. Thomas Kosten said at the Sixth World...

Methamphetamine use adversely affects patients, trauma centers.(Addiction Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Increasing methamphetamine use not only boosts violent injuries and law enforcement altercations among trauma patients, but it can create a significant financial burden for a level I trauma center, according to a study. ...

Nicotine patches found safe in coronary artery disease patients.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Nicotine patches are safe for use in smokers with known coronary artery disease and stress-induced myocardial ischemia, according to the results of the first-ever randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial to...

Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)
May 1, 2007... "And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has...

Continuity of care is critical.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
May 1, 2007... Preventive mental health rarely generates as much interest as when a tragedy brings to light its absence. In the wake of the recent mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the pervasive sense of disbelief that the 23-year-old gunman, Seung Hui Cho, was...

Treating autism-related behavioral problems.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
May 1, 2007... Surveys have shown that half of young patients with autism spectrum disorders are prescribed psychotropics, but drug treatment for autism's core social and communication impairments remains "more a goal and a hope than a reality," said Dr....

Gene mutation tied to 5% of frontotemporal dementia.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
May 1, 2007... SALZBURG, AUSTRIA -- Mutations in the progranulin gene are found in about 5% of patients with frontotemporal dementia, according to research presented at the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. ...

Guidelines seek tighter opioid therapy control.(Pain Medicine)(treating chronic headaches)
May 1, 2007... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Sustained opioid therapy should be prescribed only for chronic headache patients under stringent new guidelines that would exclude most headache patients, Dr. Joel R. Saper proposed at a symposium sponsored by the American...

Sumatriptan-naproxen combo beats either alone.(Pain Medicine)
May 1, 2007... A tablet combining sumatriptan and naproxen is more effective than either medication alone for treating acute migraine, reported Dr. Jan Lewis Brandes of the Nashville Neuroscience Group and her associates. The combination medication also...

Opioid regulations often misunderstood by practitioners.(Pain Medicine)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- State laws governing the availability and use of opioid analgesics are becoming less onerous, but confusion persists among regulators and practitioners, David E. Joranson said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of...

Use multidisciplinary approach in fibromyalgia.(Psychosomatic Medicine)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Many fibromyalgia patients could benefit from the care and expertise provided by psychiatrists, Dr. Lesley M. Arnold said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are in a position...

Anorexia raises risk of long-term bone damage.(Psychosomatic Medicine)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... TAMPA -- Anorexia nervosa reduces bone mass and puts young women at risk for early onset of osteoporosis, just at the time when they should be building peak bone mass, Dr. Steven Crawford said at the annual meeting of the International Society...

New antioxidant may prevent onset of diabetes.(Across Specialties)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Succinobucol, a novel antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, achieved a 64% reduction in new-onset diabetes in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome in the phase III Aggressive Reduction of Inflammation Stops...

New COX-2 inhibitor drug called nonapprovable by FDA.(Across Specialties)
May 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has issued a nonapprovable letter for the COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib (Arcoxia), according to the drug's manufacturer, Merck & Co. The decision followed a 20-1 vote against approval, largely based on safety...

LDL below 100 mg/dL deemed not low enough.(Across Specialties)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Fully half of U.S. patients hospitalized for coronary artery disease now have an LDL cholesterol of 100 mg/dL or less on admission, according to a new report from the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines program....

Depression screening warranted in coronary artery disease patients.(Across Specialties)
May 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- Depression is not a proven risk factor for coronary artery disease events, but the data available now are compelling enough to warrant screening patients with coronary disease for depression and treating it when it's diagnosed. ...

Sildenafil may benefit some patients with heart failure.(Across Specialties)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... SEATTLE -- A 12-week study of sildenafil therapy in patients with heart failure due to left ventricular dysfunction and secondary pulmonary hypertension is continuing after an interim analysis found neither therapeutic futility nor overwhelming...

Novel drugs highly effective in resistant HIV.(Across Specialties)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Two novel HIV medications produced striking improvement in AIDS patients failing standard therapy, according to four separate studies presented at a conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections. "The results here...

Ceasing HAART found not to cause neurocognitive decline in healthy patients.(Across Specialties)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Relatively healthy individuals who opted to discontinue highly active antiretroviral therapy did not appear to suffer any neurocognitive repercussions and in fact performed better on a standard battery of neuropsychological tests...

Nationwide survey says 10% of HIV is resistant.(Across Specialties)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Surveillance data indicate that 10% of people in the United States who become infected with HIV have acquired a virus with some resistance, Dr. Ulana Bodnar said at the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic...

AMA proposes bundled pay for coordinated care.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The U.S. health care delivery system should be overhauled to organize medical practice around "integrated care cycles" that are coordinated by a central physician and to reward physicians for providing value, Michael E. Porter...

Medicare expected to increase at a faster rate than Medicaid as percent of GDP.(DATA WATCH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Medicare Expected to Increase at a Faster Rate Than Medicaid as Percent of GDP 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 Medicare 2.3% 8.0% Medicaid 1.2% 3.4% Notes: Based on 2005 and 2006...

Alzheimer's affects 5 million.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... About 5.1 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent report from the Alzheimer's Association. While most people with the disease are over age 65, 200,000-500,000 people younger than 65 have early-onset...

Alzheimer's treatment delays.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Race and ethnicity may play a role in delays in diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, according to an Alzheimer's Foundation of America survey. The survey found that 70% of African American and 67% of Hispanic caregivers were likely...

25% of stays for mental health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... One-quarter of all patients age 18 and over admitted to the hospital in 2004 had a mental health or a substance abuse disorder, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Almost 2 million admissions were primarily for...

NIH launches addiction study.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... In response to the growing prescription drug abuse, the National Institute on Drug Abuse is launching the multisite Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study (POATS). The researchers will examine the efficacy of buprenorphine/naloxone...

Psych drug spending soars.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Spending on medications for mental health conditions surged 150% from 1997 to 2004, rising from $8 billion to $20 billion in that 7-year period, according to AHRQ. The agency said the largest increase was for antipsychotic agents, where...

CMS extends NPI deadline.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
May 1, 2007... Physicians and other providers who fail to comply with the May 23 deadline to acquire and start using a National Provider Identifier will not be penalized if they can show they deployed a "contingency plan," the Centers for Medicare and...

CMS poised to launch pay-for-reporting program.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... Starting July 1, physicians who report on selected quality measures will have a chance to earn a small bonus payment from Medicare. The program, called the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, was mandated by Congress and offers...

Medical schools forecast 17% enrollment hike over 5 years.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... First-year enrollment in U.S. medical schools is projected to increase 17% over the next 5 years to nearly 19,300 students, helping to ameliorate the real need for new physicians, according to an annual survey of medical-school expansion plans...

Public resists electronic personal health records.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- President Bush, members of Congress, and key consumer organizations are all calling for broad implementation of electronic personal health records--and now it's time to convince the public of their worth, David Lansky, Ph.D., said...

Treating schizophrenia during pregnancy.(INPATIENT PRACTICE)(Interview)
May 1, 2007... Pregnancy is a time of heightened vulnerability for women with schizophrenia and their offspring. Compared with women who are not mentally ill, those with schizophrenia have more unwanted sex and pregnancies, less prenatal care, a greater...

Use of coercive interventions varies across Europe.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... MADRID -- The use of coercive interventions--such as physical or mechanical restraint--to control imminent and actual dangerous behavior by people with acute mental illness was discussed at a symposium at the 15th European Congress of...

Damming the rivers of racism.(THE ETHICAL WAY)
May 1, 2007... "No, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." --Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., August 1963 Black History Month has come and gone. As usual, we...

Employer-based insurance coverage in trouble.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Companies both large and small are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the health insurance coverage they have traditionally provided to their workers, experts warned at a conference sponsored by AcademyHealth. ...

Tales of teen bullying.(REEL LIFE)
May 1, 2007... Bullying covers a broad and nasty set of predatory behaviors by which the strong pick on the weak. Bullying seems to be spreading beyond the traditional confines of the school grounds and military indoctrination into the workplace and onto the...

Public hearing on Medication Guides.(FYI)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration will hold a public hearing on June 12 and 13, 2007, to obtain feedback on its Medication Guide program. The guides are handouts given to patients by pharmacists each time certain prescription drugs and...

Prescription assistance fact sheet.(FYI)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The National Council on Patient Information and Education is distributing a fact sheet to advise consumers who lack health insurance or prescription drug coverage about prescription assistance programs. For more information, read the fact sheet...

NIAAA clinical guide updated.(FYI)
May 1, 2007... An updated version of "Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician's Guide" has been released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The revised guide includes information on a program for managing medication using...

Grants in Child Traumatic Stress.(FYI)
May 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is soliciting applications for two categories of grants under the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative. For more information, visit...

Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment.(FYI)
May 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released updated guidance for administrators and clinicians in two new Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs). The protocols are TIP 46, Substance Abuse: Administrative Issues in...