Brown University Psychopharmacology Update articles from June 2007

Brown University Psychopharmacology Update archives from June 2007

Landmark study finds adding antidepressants to mood stabilizers may not yield greater benefits.(Bipolar Depression)
June 1, 2007... precis * 26-week, multi-site, randomized, placebo-controlled trial from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) which randomized 366 patients with bipolar depression to double-blind treatment with a...

Adjunctive atomoxetine fails to improve symptoms in patients with persistent depression.(Augmentation Strategies)(Clinical report)
June 1, 2007... precis * Patients with major depressive disorder were administered sertraline at doses up to 200 mg/day. Patients who still experienced depressive symptoms after 8 weeks were randomly assigned to receive atomoxetine 40 to 120 mg/day or...

Sodium valproate and levetiracetam.(Drug-Drug Interactions)
June 1, 2007... Drug interaction with valproic acid is commonly reported, secondary both to its ability to inhibit drug elimination (1) and to induction of its metabolism by concurrently administered drugs. Since valproic acid is increasingly used in the...

Naltrexone and CBT for alcohol and eating disorders in women.(What's New in Research)(Cognitive behavioral therapy)(Report)
June 1, 2007... precis * First controlled study designed to examine the efficacy of naltrexone for alcohol dependence in women * Despite improvements in entire sample, naltrexone does not appear superior to placebo for drinking outcomes or for...

Atomoxetine augmentation for depression: accentuate the negative.(Editor's Commentary)
June 1, 2007... What do you do when you've invested a lot of time and energy (and perhaps money, too) in some project that ends up completely failing to live up to the high expectations you had for it when you started out? Scientists face this question...

Placebo-controlled trial of escitalopram for kleptomania.(News Notes)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Although Koran et al. are unaware of any controlled trials of pharmacotherapy for kleptomania, open-label and case series have reported successful treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In a double-blind,...

Study sheds light on genetic risk for schizophrenia.(News Notes)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In the first study to use whole genome association (WGA) to study a psychiatric illness, researchers with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have found there could be a link between two specific genes and the risk for developing...

Psychosis possibly relating to zonisamide.(Case Report)
June 1, 2007... Patient: Female, 50 years old Medications: phenytoin (Dilantin), primidone (Mysoline), zonisamide (Zonegran), valproic acid (Depakene), olanzapine (Zyprexa) Case: A 50-year-old woman with mild mental retardation had a 41-year history...

Label revision: fluoxetine.(From the FDA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In March 2007, the FDA amended the Precautions: Pregnancy/Nonteratogenic Effects section of the labels for Prozac (fluoxetine capsules and oral solution) and Prozac Weekly (fluoxetine delayed-release). The revised label cites a retrospective...

New warnings: sedative/hypnotic products.(From the FDA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The FDA has sent letters to all manufacturers of approved sedative/hypnotic drugs requesting that labeling be revised to include warnings about potential risks. Each manufacturer is sending letters to healthcare providers notifying them of...