Clinical Psychiatry News articles from November 2006

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from November 2006

Team takes on eating disorders.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
November 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- A multi-disciplinary approach to treating eating disorder patients can help to prevent relapse when the treatment team works closely with family members and other concerned individuals, speakers from Johns Hopkins University...

Median income of psychiatrists in group practice up 36% over the past decade.(VITAL SIGNS)
November 1, 2006... Median Income of Psychiatrists in Group Practice Up 36% Over the Past Decade Source: American Medical Group Association ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

FDA approves first agent for treating autism symptoms: risperidone approval called 'breakthrough.'.(Food and Drug Administration)
November 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has approved risperidone for treatment of irritability associated with autism. This approval addresses aggression, deliberate self-injury, and temper tantrums in children aged 5 years and older, and in...

Small study: tamoxifen may lift mania in bipolar.
November 1, 2006... PARIS -- Tamoxifen, a drug widely used in the treatment of breast cancer, significantly reduced the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial presented in a breaking news session at the annual congress of the...

[T.sub.3] supplementation raises patients' response to sertraline.(treating depression)
November 1, 2006... PARIS -- Triiodothyronine supplementation significantly increased the antidepressant effects of sertraline in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial presented by Dr. Bernard Lerer in a breaking news session at the annual congress of the...

Donepezil approved for severe dementia Tx.(News)
November 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has approved donepezil for the treatment of severe dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease. The approval, which came in October, expands the indication of donepezil to cover all degrees of Alzheimer's...

FDA advisory warns of serotonin syndrome.(Food and Drug Administration )
November 1, 2006... Physicians should be aware that concomitant use of a triptan and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or a selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor can lead to serotonin syndrome, according to a public health advisory issued by...

Warning targets several Canadian drug Web sites.(News)(investigation on purchasing of counterfeit drugs through websites)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Consumers should not buy or use prescription drugs obtained from certain Canadian Web sites allegedly selling counterfeit versions of Lipitor, Propecia, a breast cancer drug, and other prescription drugs, according to a warning issued by the...

CDC's first estimate sets number of autistic children at nearly 300,000.(News)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Survey)
November 1, 2006... Nearly 300,000 American children aged 4-17 years had received a diagnosis of autism as of 2003-2004, data from a pair of parent surveys show. The estimated prevalence was 5.7 per 1,000 children and 5.5 per 1,000 children in the National...

One-on-one Tx for autism trumps mainstreaming.(News)
November 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Home-based intensive skills therapy for autism appears to be a more effective early intervention than integration into mainstream preschool classrooms, according to preliminary findings of a small pilot study reported at the 5th...

CUtLASS findings interesting but inconclusive.(News)(schizophrenia treatment with antipsychotics)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2006... A British study showing that second-generation antipsychotics do not offer significant clinical benefits over first-generation drugs when prescribed to patients with schizophrenia is interesting but not definitive, the American Psychiatric...

Quetiapine wins approval for bipolar depression.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Quetiapine has been approved for the treatment of major depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. The approval for this indication was made by the Food and Drug Administration last month, based on two 8-week double-blind,...

Mental illness and obesity.
November 1, 2006... The association between obesity and severe mental illness is clear. In fact, patients with severe mental illness might have an even higher proportion of obesity than might those in the general population (J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 2003;191: 799-805)....

Use 'professional firewall' to manage stress.(work life balance for stress managment)(Editorial)
November 1, 2006... The ancient Greeks struggled with the concept of a good or fulfilled life. In about 400 B.C., Hippocrates taught that the key to a healthy life was balancing the humors of the body. To do this, one paid attention to the spiritual, emotional,...

Exposure to Western psychiatry is a right.(Editorial)
November 1, 2006... Of late, there has been much debate about the international recruitment of psychiatrists who aspired to join the National Health Service in Great Britain through an international fellowship plan. Much has been said against such recruitment and...

Subtext is key in domestic abuse.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... As a mental health professional, one must not succumb to the temptation of solely categorizing intimate partner abuse along DSM lines ("Intimate Partner Abuse," Fink! Still at Large, October 2006, p. 18). It would be easy to attribute such...

Herbal supplements: no guarantees.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... It's little wonder that some of Dr. Joanna Woyciechowska's colleagues had issues with her ("Psychiatry: 'Treatment of the Soul,'" Letters, June 2006, p. 10). In the United States, physicians have been trained to use medications that are...

Correction.(Correction notice)
November 1, 2006... The story "Imaging Detects Amyloid in Preclinical Alzheimer's" (CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS, Sept. 2006, p. 37) confused the distinct differences between the two imaging compounds: a radiotracer known as [18F]FDDNP and Pittsburgh Imaging Compound...

Deep brain stimulation improves major depression.
November 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Depression scores improved by at least 50% in six of nine patients treated with deep brain stimulation devices for intractable major depression, opening a new frontier in deep brain stimulation therapy. Deep brain...

Cognitive therapy reaches a milestone.
November 1, 2006... Dr. Aaron T. Beck's recent win of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation's prestigious medical prize for his groundbreaking work in developing cognitive therapy has significant meaning for me on several levels. First, I grew up hearing...

Diabetes severity linked to sleep.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Deficits in sleep duration and quality may lead to an increase in the severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus, a study has shown. In a cohort of 161 African American patients with type 2 diabetes, higher levels of hemoglobin [A.sub.1c]...

Carotid artery stenting vs. depression.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Carotid artery stenting appears to lessen depression associated with severe stenosis of the carotid artery in older patients. After stent placement, the frequency of depressive symptoms dropped from 34% to 10% among patients with high-grade...

Exercise improves diabetic neuropathy.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... In diabetic patients, long-term exercise can improve measures of nerve function and even prevent the onset of peripheral neuropathy, according to findings from a randomized, prospective intervention study conducted in Italy. Dr. Stefano...

Herbal use may affect psychotropic response: serotonin syndrome has been reported in patients who used both St. John's wort and an SSRI.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
November 1, 2006... Medicinal herbs are a fact of life in the United States. "Thirty percent of the general population uses herbs regularly, and you can double that for psychiatric patients, who are always trying to self-medicate," said Dr. Mary L. Hardy, director...

Sleep disturbances after trauma might prove predictive.
November 1, 2006... SALT LAKE CITY -- Sleep disturbances that occur in the weeks immediately after a stressful event may predict the later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms, according to data from a survey conducted after Sept. 11, 2001. A total of...

The art of Rosemary Carson.
November 1, 2006... Much of the inspiration for Rosemary Carson's art comes from patients she's met. Ms. Carson, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia around the age of 15 and had multiple stays in mental hospitals, said she felt compelled to paint a series of...

Rate of myocarditis from clozapine higher.(adverse drug-reaction )
November 1, 2006... BARCELONA -- About 1% of patients treated with clozapine develop myocarditis, based on data from the Australian adverse drug-reaction reporting registry. The estimated rate of 0.7%-1.2% is substantially higher than the 0.015%-0.188% rates...

First-trimester lamotrigine use tied to defects.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Use of the anticonvulsant lamotrigine during the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the likelihood of fetal development of cleft palate and lip, according to preliminary data from the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy...

APA urged to focus on exposure to violence.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(American Psychiatric Association)(childhood violence causes traumatic stress in youth)
November 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Traumatic stress in youth is the single most important contributor to later psychiatric morbidity and mortality, and the American Psychiatric Association should make violence and its sequelae a major organizational priority,...

Adolescent insomnia may be risk factor for disorders later.
November 1, 2006... SALT LAKE CITY -- Adolescent insomnia is fairly common and appears to be a risk factor for psychological disorders in young adulthood, Brandy M. Roane reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Of 4,253...

Antipsychotics' side effects more common in young.(Clinical report)
November 1, 2006... PARIS -- A series of studies in children and adolescents suggests that they may be more vulnerable than adults to some side effects of antipsychotics, Dr. Celso Arango warned at the annual congress of the European College of...

Autism disorders more prevalent than thought in England.(Editorial)
November 1, 2006... The prevalence of autism and related disorders was found to be "substantially greater" than expected in a screening of nearly 57,000 children in England. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders was 116 per 10,000 population. Previous...

Tailor teen pregnancy messages.(behavior of teenage mothers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Pregnant adolescents aged 12-17 years are more likely than 18- or 19-year-olds to report that their babies would enhance their relationships with others, and older teens are more likely to identify the challenges of teen motherhood, data...

Risky sex in black teens.(cause of depression)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Black adolescents who report depressive symptoms are nearly four times more likely to report inconsistent condom use than are peers who were not depressed, Dr. Larry K. Brown of Brown University in Providence, R.I., and his colleagues reported....

Race, gender affect meth use.(use of methamphetamine by teenagers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and methamphetamine by adolescents aged 12-17 years is significantly associated with use of marijuana and other illegal drugs and also with the use of mental health services, a study of more than 17,000...

Depression linked to risky sexual behaviors.
November 1, 2006... BOSTON -- Adolescent boys and girls with symptoms of depression are more likely than their nondepressed peers to engage in high-risk sexual behavior, results of a recent study have shown. These findings fuel arguments in favor of expanding...

Consider Montgomery-Asberg scale for assessing depression.
November 1, 2006... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Major depression in children and adolescents can be assessed quickly using a 10-item scale designed for adults. Results correlate well with a standard 45-minute pediatric measure, according to a study presented at a meeting...

Depressive symptoms predict exposure to violence.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... BOSTON -- Adolescent girls who exhibit symptoms of depression are at greater risk for subsequent intimate partner violence than their nondepressed peers, a study has shown. The findings suggest that preventing, identifying, and treating...

Migraine Prevalence 6% among adolescents: panel recommends that preventive therapy be offered to patients with six or more migraines per month.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... LOS ANGELES -- In any given year, 6% of adolescents aged 12-19 years experience at least one migraine headache, according to the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study released at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society....

SSRIs not known to promote suicide risk in pediatric OCD.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)(obsessive compulsive disorder)
November 1, 2006... PARIS -- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have not been shown to increase suicide risk in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and should not be withheld from these patients, Dr. Martine F. Flament advised at the...

Daily stress management can work in classroom setting.
November 1, 2006... PHILADELPHIA -- A 10-minute, daily stress management intervention delivered in an elementary school classroom can decrease feelings of anxiety and improve a child's ability to relax, Dr. Denise Bothe said at the annual meeting of the Society...

Severe apnea linked to CNS abnormalities.(central nervous system)
November 1, 2006... Children with severe obstructive sleep apnea demonstrate decreased IQ and other neuropsychological deficits, and have metabolic brain abnormalities that can be seen on imaging, indicating possible neuronal injury, according to a new study. ...

Asthma survey reveals communication gaps between physicians and parents.
November 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- There is a disconnect in communications between physicians and parents of children with asthma, according to an analysis of data from a new global asthma survey. Parents and physicians disagree on the amount of time dedicated to...

Is drop in sleep connected to obesity?(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Shortened nightly sleep may help explain the rise in childhood obesity because sleep deprivation can disrupt levels of key hormones that regulate appetite and suppress physical activity, an endocrinology researcher reports. Encouraging...

Mediterranean diet, omega-3 show anti-AD effect.(Alzheimer's disease)
November 1, 2006... Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease, and supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids appears to slow the progression of mild forms of the disease, according to two separate studies appearing in...

Glycemic control may stop dementia.
November 1, 2006... MADRID -- Tight control of blood glucose levels may decrease the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease among patients with diabetes, researchers reported at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders....

Panel opposes separate drug testing in the elderly.(European College of Neuropsychopharmacology)
November 1, 2006... PARIS -- A consensus panel convened by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology has drafted a report opposing separate clinical trials of central nervous system drugs in elderly patients. The panel calls instead for dropping age...

Study highlights effective dementia treatments: teaching caregivers how to interact with patients tops the list of psychological therapies.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... Behavioral management techniques--including specific types of training for caregivers on managing neuropsychiatric symptoms--and cognitive stimulation therapy are the most effective treatments for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, Dr....

Atypical antipsychotics still used after warning: pattern probably reflects perceptions that clinical benefits outweigh risks for older dementia patients.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... MADRID -- Prescriptions for atypical antipsychotics have not decreased significantly among elderly patients with dementia, despite the black box warning of an increased risk of death associated with the drugs, Henry Riordan, Ph.D., said at the...

Study questions value of second-generation drugs in AD.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Alzheimers disease)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2006... Findings from a study of olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone in patients with Alzheimer's disease call into question the clinical value of these second-generation antipsychotic drugs and suggest that physicians should use them judiciously....

Drug use among U.S. workforce continues to decline.(DATA WATCH)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Drug Use Among U.S. Workforce Continues to Decline Note: Based on workplace drug tests in federally mandated safety-sensitive workers and the general workforce combined. Source: Quest Diagnostics ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

Smoking quit lines appear to ease doctors' workloads.(Addiction Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The opportunity to refer patients to a telephone quit line encourages physicians to talk to their patients about quitting smoking, Dr. Stephen Rothemich said at a conference on tobacco control sponsored by the American Cancer...

Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)
November 1, 2006... Because of the prior "death sentence" perception, stigma, and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with HIV infection, providing psychiatric care to these patients can be a unique challenge. But we can make their quality of life better. ...

Mental illness, HIV often comorbid.(human immunodeficiency virus)
November 1, 2006... Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus has come a long way over the last few years, thanks to the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy. However, these advances have done little to address one of the most prevalent and...

Gulf War vets may face increased ALS risk.(veterans)(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
November 1, 2006... Veterans of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War may be at increased risk for developing psychological conditions and their service may be associated with a greater chance of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a report by the...

Alpha-synuclein gene variation associated with Parkinson's.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Variations in the length of the alpha-synuclein gene promoter's dinucleotide repeat sequence have been linked to Parkinson's disease in a study analyzing DNA samples from more than 5,300 subjects around the world. Mutations in the...

Study shows strong link between RLS, depression.(restless legs syndrome)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... SALT LAKE CITY -- A strong relationship exists between restless legs syndrome and major depressive disorder, a community-based study suggests. Of 42 patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS), approximately 21% had a lifetime diagnosis of...

Take patient's word in judging chronic pain.(pain management guidelines)
November 1, 2006... ORLANDO -- Do not confuse addiction with physical dependence when prescribing opioids for your chronic pain patients, Dr. Jennifer P. Schneider advised at the annual clinical meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management. Trust...

Transdermal postoperative pain control device approved.
November 1, 2006... A patient-activated transdermal product for short-term management of acute postoperative pain in adults requiring opioid analgesia has received Food and Drug Administration approval. The fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system, marketed...

VIGILance key to avoiding hassles in opioid prescribing.(Pain Medicine)
November 1, 2006... ORLANDO -- When opioids are prescribed for chronic pain patients, following the five-step VIGIL system can lessen the threat of being scrutinized by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The acronym stands for verification, identification,...

Teens, parents may disagree on arthritis severity.
November 1, 2006... When it comes to rating the severity of their illness and assessing its effect on their quality of life, teens with juvenile idiopathic arthritis may not see eye to eye with their parents, reported K.L. Shaw, Ph.D., of the Institute of Child...

Depression risk high in women under 60 with MI.(myocardial infarction)
November 1, 2006... Women younger than age 60 have "a remarkably higher rate of depression at the time of acute myocardial infarction, compared with the other demographic groups," reported Dr. Susmita Mallik of Emory University, Atlanta, and her associates. ...

Depression Self-Care may aid diabetes control: diabetic patients are especially burdened by a sense of hopelessness and helplessness about their disease.
November 1, 2006... LOS ANGELES -- Adherence to a self-care action plan helped primary care patients exceed national goals for reducing their depression, reported Dr. Doriane C. Miller, associate division chief of general internal medicine at Stroger Hospital of...

Sertraline maintains mood in diabetes.
November 1, 2006... Maintenance therapy with sertraline prevents a recurrence of major depression in diabetic patients whose mood disorder initially responds well to the drug, reported Patrick J. Lustman, Ph.D., of Washington University in St. Louis. Clinical...

Sleep duration predicts weight gain in women.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... SALT LAKE CITY -- Sleep duration of less than 6 hours is an independent predictor of future weight gain and obesity in women, findings from the Nurses' Health Study suggest. Data from more than 68,000 women who participated in the study...

Sparse data on eating disorders prompt call for research.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
November 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- The release this year of American Psychiatric Association guidelines on treating eating disorders and two analyses of the available evidence to support such treatments have highlighted the dearth of effective, evidence-based...

Interplay of stress, Ca development is unclear.(cancer)
November 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Major life events and other stressors cannot be definitively associated with the initiation or progression of cancer, according to Bert Garssen, Ph.D., of the Centre for Psycho-Oncology at the Helen Dowling Institute in Utrecht, the...

Spiritual coping Sparks personal growth in Ca.(cancer)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Breast cancer patients who cope using spirituality are most likely to report personal growth resulting from their illness, Valerie Bussell, Ph.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral...

Hypertension tied to sexual dysfunction in women.
November 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Women with hypertension were twice as likely to have sexual dysfunction as normotensive women were, in a study of 417 women. The results also showed that women with controlled hypertension had a significantly lower prevalence of...

SSRI helps control premature ejaculation.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2006... Dapoxetine, a rapidly acting selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, significantly increases the time to ejaculation during sexual intercourse in men with moderate to severe premature ejaculation, according to data from two randomized,...

Testosterone spikes in some women before matches.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... PITTSBURGH -- A study in female soccer players reveals that women produce significantly increased levels of testosterone in anticipation of a match, a finding previously associated only with men. Like their male counterparts, testosterone...

Arthritis often negatively affects sexuality.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... AMSTERDAM -- Physicians have largely overlooked the sizable adverse impact that rheumatoid arthritis can have on sexuality, Ylva Helland said at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology. Her survey of 1,041 Oslo-area patients with a...

CDC recommends routine HIV screening.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(human immunodeficiency virus)
November 1, 2006... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that voluntary HIV screening be a routine part of medical care for all patients between the ages of 13 and 64 years. The recommendations are intended to simplify the HIV testing...

Older patients more compliant with antiretroviral therapy.
November 1, 2006... TORONTO -- With age comes enhanced adherence to HIV therapy, according to a study presented at the 16th International AIDS Conference. Michael J. Silverberg, Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research, Oakland, Calif., and his...

Serosorting limits HIV among men who have sex with men.(human immunodeficiency virus)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Serosorting--the selection of sex practices based on a partner's known or perceived HIV status--is becoming more popular among men who have sex with men, Dr. Robert M. Grant said at the Ryan White CARE Act clinical meeting on HIV...

Race makes difference in metabolic syndrome.
November 1, 2006... ATLANTA -- There are no formal criteria defining metabolic syndrome in children, but it is clear that African American and white children show important differences in some of the components, Dr. Silva A. Arslanian said at the annual meeting of...

Lean black women more likely than others to have insulin resistance.
November 1, 2006... BOSTON -- Normal-weight African American women were twice as likely to have insulin resistance as were similarly lean white and Hispanic women, according to the findings of an epidemiologic study. Additionally, unlike their white and...

Minorities rely on diet, exercise to lose weight.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... DALLAS -- African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to use diet and exercise to lose weight than to seek counseling from a dietitian or try prescription medications, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the National...

Lifestyle changes can reduce risks in diabetes.
November 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- One-year data from a large, federally funded clinical trial have shown that intensive lifestyle intervention can produce significant weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes, Dr. F....

Bariatric surgery may be safe option for older adults.
November 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Bariatric surgery may be safe for older patients and provide weight loss benefits and improved comorbidities similar to those achieved by younger patients, according to four new studies presented at the annual meeting of the...

Hormone therapy debate continues post WHI: effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on heart disease risk, breast cancer risk remain unclear.(Women's Health Initiative)
November 1, 2006... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- It's time to rekindle enthusiasm for postmenopausal hormone therapy, Dr. Leon Speroff said at the annual meeting of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. "In my view, postmenopausal hormone therapy is in...

ABPN implementing recertification changes.(American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology)(www.abpn.com)
November 1, 2006... Psychiatrists and neurologists who take the recertification examination in 2007 will face new requirements under the maintenance of certification process. Starting next year, physicians taking the exam will need to have completed 30 hours...

Mental health Rx restrictions.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Medicare Part D drug plans often employ utilization management techniques, such as prior authorization, for commonly prescribed antidepressants and antipsychotics, according to a report from the Medicare Rights Center. The group, which...

CDC launches autism study.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are launching a multistate study aimed at pinpointing the risk factors for autism spectrum disorders. The $5.9 million study will include about 2,700 children aged 2-5 and their...