The Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update articles from May 2005

The Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update archives from May 2005

Stimulants safe for children with ADHD, but experts ponder long-term effects.(STIMULANTS, DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
May 1, 2005... That dopaminergic hypofunction in the frontal lobes and basal ganglia are implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may go long way to explaining why long-time, front-line medications--namely psychostimulants such as...

Lorazepam (generic).(YOUR MEDICATION INFORMATION)
May 1, 2005... CLASSIFICATION: Benzodiazepine anxiolytic (anti-anxiety agent). COMMON USAGE: Lorazepam is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders or the short-term (up to 4 months) relief of the symptoms of anxiety or anxiety...

Using pediatric chemical restraints in the ER: protocol and safety concerns.(WHICH DRUGS TO USE AND WHEN)(emergency room)
May 1, 2005... Treating severely agitated, violent or psychotic pediatric patients in an emergency department may require some type of restraint (physical, chemical or both). Chemical restraint in such children is rarely used in emergency room (ER)...

Folinic acid treatment linked with neurologic improvements.(WHAT'S NEW IN RESEARCH)
May 1, 2005... A report published in Neurology describes striking neurologic improvements after one year of folinic acid treatment in a young child with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities. Progressive neurologic dysfunction has been described...

Age, antiepileptics influence topiramate plasma levels.(WHAT'S NEW IN RESEARCH)
May 1, 2005... Younger age and treatment with concomitant antiepileptic drug enzyme inducers significantly increased the clearance of topiramate in children with epilepsy, according to research published in Pediatric Neurology. In this retrospective...

Legal implications.(medication cases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Some of the legal implications of restraint, reviewed in Sorrentino's article, are summarized below: A 1982 United States Supreme Court decision (Youngberg v. Romero) states that a patient may be restrained to protect others or self. (1)...

Mania may be associated with modafinil in therapeutic doses.(CASE REPORT)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Patient: Male (17 y/o) Medications: Modafinil (Provigil), methylphenidate (Concerta) Comment: A 17-year old boy, diagnosed with narcolepsy at the age of 14, was first prescribed modafinil (400 mg/day) for 1 year, switched to...

FDA requests further data on anticonvulsants and suicide.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The New York Times has reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested the manufacturers of epilepsy drugs to reexamine their clinical trial data to determine whether the drugs increase patients' risk of suicide. The...

Methylphenidate transdermal patch for ADHD: positive clinical data.(NEWS NOTES)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Results from two (7-week) clinical trials show that a methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) was well tolerated in treatment for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both studies--a phase 2 study (N=79) and a phase...

Tentative approvals for olanzapine generics.(From the FDA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The FDA has given tentative approval to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Mylan Laboratories for marketing a generic form of olanzapine in multiple strengths. Olanzapine is the generic equivalent of Eli Lilly's Zyprexa. Lilly holds the...

Non-approval of Lexapro for panic disorder.(From the FDA)(Forest Laboratories Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Forest Laboratories, Inc. reports that the FDA has issued a non-approval letter for the second time for the SSRI anti-depressant, Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate). This is in response to the company's reply to the FDA's initial non-approval...

Bolded warning for off-label Gabitril use.(From the FDA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The FDA has announced that a bolded warning will be added to the labeling for Gabitril (tiagabine) to warn of the risk of seizures in patients without epilepsy being treated with this drug. Gabitril is indicated as adjunctive treatment in...