Clinical Psychiatry News back issues from February 2008:
PTSD and HIV often comorbid.(News)
Feb 01, 2008; ... NEW ORLEANS -- An estimated 30%-50% of HIV patients meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, and up to 60% of those are untreated, Dr. Antoine B. Douaihy predicts. Studies suggest that about one-third of patients meet criteria for acute stress disorder (ASD), and a ...
National health expenditures as percentage of gross domestic product.(VITAL SIGNS)
Feb 01, 2008 ... <Pre> National Health Expenditures As Percentage of Gross Domestic Product 1970 7.2% 1980 9.1% 1990 12.3% 2000 13.8% 2003 15.8% 2004 15.9% 2005 15.9% 2006 ...
SAMHSA warns of OTC cough/cold medication abuse: highest rate found in 18-25 age group.(Addiction Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... More than 3 million Americans aged 12-25 are thought to have used over-the-counter cough and cold medication nonmedically in 2006, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates. The estimates are based on results of the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use ...
Medicare grows 19% as health tab hits $2 trillion.(News)
Feb 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- The nation spent $2 trillion, or $7,000 per person, on health care in 2006. Although that was only a small increase from the previous year, America's prescription drug tab increased by 8.5%, fueled largely by the new Medicare Part D drug benefit. Health spending as ...
Extended-release guanfacine promising.(News)
Feb 01, 2008; ... An extended-release form of guanfacine was associated with significant improvements in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of children and adolescents. Guanfacine, a selective [[alpha].sub.2]-adrenoceptor ...
Medicare panel backs 1.1% physician fee increase for 2009.(News)
Feb 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has voted to recommend that Congress increase Medicare physician fees by 1.1% in 2009. The recommendation will be included in MedPAC's final report to Congress next month but was discussed and voted on at a panel meeting in ...
Comparing diagnostic skills.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Dr. H. Steven Moffic recently wrote that there seems to be no "research studies that compare the real-life diagnostic skills" of psychiatrists and psychologists ("If I Were President [of Our APA]," The Ethical Way, December 2007, p. 38). That is not true. Several colleagues and ...
Data on compensation need clarity.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2008 ... You published data recently showing compensation for psychiatrists, but I am puzzled about what these figures mean ("Median Compensation for Psychiatrists," Vital Signs, October 2007, p. 1). Are the amounts gross receipts, or do they represent take-home money after office ...
Assessing patients' fitness to drive.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2008 ... In his column, Dr. H. Steven Moffic has established a new duty for treating psychiatrists ("To Drive or Not to Drive? That Is the ...," The Ethical Way, October 2007, p. 41). He suggests that treating psychiatrists evaluate each patient's fitness to drive. However, ...
Clarification.(Correction notice)
Feb 01, 2008 ... An article published in CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS ("Beware of Adrenal Insufficiency With Atypicals," December 2007, p. 17) overstated the conclusions offered in a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute of Psychiatric Services. Dr. Violeta Tan and Dr ....
Managed care: can't we do better?(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Ronald Reagan once joked that, "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'" This reflects an increasing realization that, as the information age continues to advance, "process" continues to supplant "purpose" as ...
We can work with pharma.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(doctors provising services to pharmaceutical industry)(Editorial)
Feb 01, 2008; ... I am a psychiatrist in solo private practice. Over the past 18 years, I have spoken on behalf of numerous pharmaceutical companies. Like all speakers, I am required before presenting to disclose the name of the sponsor for any promotional talk, as well as all relevant financial interests ...
Meet the editorial board of Clinical Psychiatry News.(Opinion)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Lee H. Beecher, M.D. Dr. Beecher is an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and a past president of the Minnesota Physician-Patient Alliance (www.physician-patient.org). He also is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and ...
Risks special, benefits uncertain in bipolar anxiety.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Anxiety in individuals with bipolar disorder has received increasing attention in recent years. It is prominent as a symptom in both mania and depression, and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent comorbidities associated with a more troubled course of illness in numerous domains--more ...
Comorbidities raise risk of resistant depression fivefold.(Adult Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... VIENNA -- Patients with unipolar major depression and anxiety disorder are at more than fivefold greater risk of treatment-resistant depression than are those without this common comorbid condition, Dr. Julien Mendlewicz reported at the annual congress of the European College of ...
Early treatment optimizes outcomes in bipolar.(Adult Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... VIENNA -- Converging lines of evidence strongly suggest that the prognosis of bipolar disorder is best with early initiation of maximally effective therapy, Dr. Michael Berk said at a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the annual congress of the European College of ...
Finding a way to cross the bridge.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)(taking good care of mentally ill personal)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Treating phobic responses is therapeutically challenging since they often require a creative spin for different individuals. That's also the case when the therapist uses standard relaxation techniques, systematic desensitization, and reciprocal inhibition. An attorney I treated a few years ...
TMS still is not recommended for resistant depression.(Adult Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... MONTREAL -- Only one-quarter of patients with treatment-resistant depression respond adequately to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, according to a systematic review of 20 randomized controlled trials. "Even though it is available in many centers, the overall ...
The art of Gary Brent Hilsen.(VISIONARY ART)(Gary Brent Hilsen )(Occupation overview)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Gary Brent Hilsen listens to jazz, show tunes, or any kind of music he finds soothing when he sets out to work on his paintings. But for Mr. Hilsen, perhaps the most soothing part is actually creating the work. "Doing my art is very healing for me," he says. "I turn the music on and start ...
Nonclassic PTSD presentations need attention.(Adult Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... BALTIMORE -- Veterans who screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder but are not clinically diagnosed with the condition have significantly different presentation from that of clinically diagnosed veterans, Kathryn M. Magruder, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the ...
Trust building sparks recovery from posttraumatic crisis.(Adult Psychiatry)(effect of Post-traumatic stress disorder on behaviour of patient)
Feb 01, 2008; ... PHILADELPHIA -- An approach to acute, behavioral crisis intervention in which patients are urged to develop trust in one or two life-defining relationships led to significantly improved scores on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale within the first day of treatment, compared with control ...
Two-phase treatment could resolve posttraumatic stress.(Adult Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... PHILADELPHIA -- A two-phase approach to treating posttraumatic stress disorder that was first developed for children has also been successfully used with adults in a single-center series of more than 100 patients. The treatment first applied a skills-training program, followed ...
Group intervention helps abuse victims.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... BALTIMORE -- A coping skills group intervention for HIV-positive women and men who have been sexually abused is associated with significantly reduced sexual risk behaviors and improvements in mental health outcomes, results of a randomized, control trial of 257 HIV-positive adults show. ...
Quetiapine and EPS.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
Feb 01, 2008; ... The Problem An inmate-patient at the state prison in which you work is diagnosed with "psychotic disorder not otherwise specified" and receives a combination of quetiapine (Seroquel) 300 mg b.i.d. and trihexyphenidyl 2 mg b.i.d. The Question How likely is ...
Topiramate may cut basilar migraine frequency.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Topiramate reduced the frequency of basilar migraine by up to 75% in almost 90% of children who took the drug for migraine prevention, Dr. Donald Lewis reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. Migraine drugs are ...
Rate of antidepressant use higher in young females than in young males.(DATA WATCH)
Feb 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Rate of Antidepressant Use Higher in Young Females Than in Young Males (per 1,000)Females ages 10-19 years Males aged 10-19 years 2001 38.0 32.1 2002 43.2 35.2 2003 46.4 ...
In teens, Prozac ineffective for depression, substance abuse.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... BOSTON -- Fluoxetine is not an effective treatment for depression in adolescents with comorbid substance-related disorders, suggest results of a placebo-controlled trial presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Previous studies ...
Algorithms predictive for prodromal teens.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Screening for specific combinations of risk factors can significantly increase the predictive accuracy of standard prodromal criteria for psychosis in high-risk adolescents, a study has shown. In a longitudinal investigation of 291 adolescents, median age 16, who met the ...
The case of a teenager who committed suicide after being bullied online shows that the Internet can be a weapon against the psychiatrically vulnerable. What can we do to help these patients?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Articles about a 13-year-old girl who killed herself in the wake of harassment on the Internet shed light on a problem that is both despicable and disastrous. The girl, Megan Meier, reportedly was overweight and an object of teasing at her school. Megan had been in contact with ...
Memory training lifts some ADHD symptoms.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... VIENNA -- A computerized method of systematically training working memory provides a nonpharmacologic means of reducing inattentive symptoms in children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Dr. Torkel Klingberg said at the annual congress of the European College of ...
ADHD goes underdiagnosed in Chinese immigrant families.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- A very low prevalence of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in New York's Chinatown seems to be attributable to underdiagnosis of the disorder, Dr. Loretta Au said at a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics. ...
Study links food additives to hyperactive behavior in children.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Children given a beverage containing certain mixtures of food colors and the preservative sodium benzoate showed significantly increased hyperactivity scores in a British randomized, controlled, crossover study. Findings of the study, which included 153 3-year-olds and 144 8- ...
Start marijuana use prevention efforts early.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... MIAMI -- Intervene to prevent marijuana use in children as young as 8 years, a National Institute on Drug Abuse researcher suggested at the annual conference of the American Society for Addiction Medicine. "Addiction is a developmental disease--it starts in adolescence and ...
Teen girls who start dieting twice as likely to smoke.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Adolescent girls who begin dieting are twice as likely to begin smoking cigarettes regularly, according to a longitudinal study. Among teenage boys, on the other hand, inactive dieters are significantly more likely to begin regular smoking, according to the study by Mildred M ....
Percentage of high school students who smoke.(DATA WATCH)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Percentage of High School Students Who Smoke Note: Based on 2005 data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System for high school students ...
Gene on chromosome 7 associated with autism: three studies show that the integrity of neuroligin-neurexin axis is critical for normal development.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Three independent studies implicate the CNTNAP2 gene on chromosome 7 as an autism-susceptibility gene, researchers reported. The three studies used different strategies to examine the possible genetic basis for autism, and all independently arrived at the same conclusion: ...
Two mutations on chromosome 16 may cause 1% of autism.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... A novel, recurrent microdeletion, as well as a reciprocal microduplication, on a specific region of chromosome 16 appears to confer substantial susceptibility to autism, researchers have reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. The two mutations might account for ...
Depression colors way girls interpret events.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Depressed girls reported more negative life events in the past year compared with nondepressed girls, and the depressed girls felt greater effects from bad events, a study of 166 girls found. The findings support cognitive models of depression that describe a ...
Computerized survey in ED changes attitudes on violence.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- A brief computerized intervention conducted while violent youths are in the emergency department is feasible, well received, and effective at changing their attitudes toward aggression and alcohol, according to Dr. Rebecca Cunningham. Data from the first 2 years of a ...
Aggressive tantrums may signify mental health risk.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Preschoolers whose tantrums consistently include self-injurious or outwardly projected aggression may be at risk of major depressive disorder, disruptive behavior disorder, or both, Andy C. Belden, Ph.D., and his colleagues reported. "We propose that preschoolers who ...
Debate continues over early cognition screening.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- Some Alzheimer's disease-related groups--but not all--are stepping up calls for earlier and more frequent cognition screening, citing an aging population increasingly at risk for dementia. The disease affects 1 in 10 people older than age 65 years, and almost half ...
Auditory training program leads to improved memory.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- An auditory training program designed to improve brain plasticity bestowed the side benefit of improved memory in a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial in 468 adults older than 65 years with normal cognition. The study is one of the first to show ...
Estimated direct costs of dementia highest in Europe.(DATA WATCH)
Feb 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Estimated Direct Costs of Dementia Highest in Europe (in billions of dollars) Africa $0.5 Europe $65.8 North America $52.6 Asia $32.0 Latin America $3.0 ...
Treatment easier in later elderly onset alcoholics.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... CORONADO, CALIF. -- One decisive factor that sets older adults who abuse alcohol apart from their younger counterparts is a generally lower level of tolerance for the substance. "They may have problems with lower intake due to the increased sensitivity to the alcohol, and ...
Modafinil helps some cocaine dependence.(Addiction Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... VIENNA -- Modafinil has now been found to be effective for the treatment of cocaine dependence in two randomized clinical trials, Frank J. Vocci, Ph.D., reported at the annual congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. The caveat is that modafinil (Provigil) ...
Tramadol appears to stem abuse of opiates.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... CORONADO, CALIF. -- Tramadol may be effective primary medical treatment for opiate dependence, results from a small study demonstrate. "I think it's safe to try for somebody who hasn't succeeded on Suboxone for some reason or for someone who can't afford Suboxone," Dr. Thomas E ....
Reasons for quitting smoking vary with age.(Addiction Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Older smokers are motivated to quit smoking by very different factors than are younger smokers, and tailoring cessation services to recognize these unique differences can improve quit rates, Virginia Reichert, N.P., said at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest ...
Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)(managing learning disorders)
Feb 01, 2008; ... The key challenge when dealing with adolescents who have emotional or behavioral issues that co-occur with learning disabilities is to try to get people to understand that if you wait until you are thirsty to dig your well, you are foolish. Effective prevention must be proactive. ...
Social and emotional costs of learning disabilities.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
Feb 01, 2008; ... The notion that learning disabilities are an academic problem exclusively is not only erroneous, it's dangerous. The struggles of children with impairments in reading, writing, math, memory, and organization extend far beyond the classroom and often contribute to a heavy psychological ...
Mental health courts may bring fewer charges.(Forensic Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008; ... MIAMI BEACH -- A downward trend in new criminal offenses among participants in the only mental health court in Vermont is considered an early sign of success, a preliminary analysis of outcome data shows. "I want to emphasize the word 'preliminary,'" Dr. Ryan P. Peirson said at ...
Letters from stalkers can provide 'forensic psycholinguistic' insights.(Forensic Psychiatry)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2008 ... MIAMI BEACH -- Stalkers' letters can, with some reliability, determine the type of stalker and guide psychiatric management of the case, Dr. James L. Knoll said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. "I collect letters from stalkers," Dr. Knoll ...
Axis I and/or Axis II disorders prevalent among pedophiles.(Forensic Psychiatry)
Feb 01, 2008 ... MIAMI BEACH -- A high percentage of incarcerated pedophiles have Axis I and/or Axis II disorders, but very few receive mental health services, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. Overall, 73% of the 70 ...
Antiepileptic shows efficacy in refractory disease.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
Feb 01, 2008; ... PHILADELPHIA -- Carisbamate, a new antiepileptic drug, showed safety and efficacy in a phase II study with more than 500 epilepsy patients. Carisbamate's ability to cut seizure frequency and boost the response rate, compared with placebo, was notable because the study involved ...
Use of quantitative EEG can individualize therapy.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
Feb 01, 2008; ... MONTREAL -- Psychiatrists can further the quest toward more evidence-based medicine by treating the neurophysiologic origins of behavioral disorders, David Cantor, Ph.D., said at the annual conference of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society. With the use of quantitative ...
Risk of cognitive impairment higher in hypertensive elderly.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Hypertension increases the risk for nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment in the elderly, researchers at Columbia University, New York, have reported. This finding suggests that preventing and treating hypertension "may have an important impact in lowering the risk of cognitive ...
True, sham acupuncture effective for back pain.(Pain Medicine)
Feb 01, 2008; ... True acupuncture and sham acupuncture both were much more effective against chronic low-back pain than was conventional treatment in a large clinical trial comparing the three approaches. Almost half the subjects who received either real or sham acupuncture for 6 months showed ...
Inadequate levels of vitamin D might play role in chronic pain.(Pain Medicine)
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- In what may be the first study of the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in patients seeking treatment for chronic pain, those who were on opioids used significantly higher doses and had been taking opioids significantly longer if they had vitamin D inadequacy than if they ...
Rise in methadone use spurs emergency visits, deaths.(Pain Medicine)(rise in emergency medical services to tackle death )
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- The increasing use of methadone for pain management has been shadowed by steep increases in the number of emergency department visits and deaths associated with the drug, according to an analysis of two national databases. The trend is worrisome, and studies to ...
Model policy adds balance to opioid management.(Pain Medicine)(law governing prescribing drugs )
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN DIEGO -- A good way to ensure a balanced approach to opioid prescribing is to follow the key principles of the Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain, Dr. Edward Michna advised at the annual meeting of the International Pelvic Pain Society. ...
Pain relievers.(Pain Medicine)(Cartoon)
Feb 01, 2008 ... "I believe that you ...
Low-carb diets okay for patients with diabetes.(Across Specialties)
Feb 01, 2008; ... New guidance from the American Diabetes Association gives a green light to the use of low-carbohydrate diets as a weight-control measure for patients with diabetes. As part of the ADA's annual update of its clinical practice recommendations, the organization has dropped its ...
Study: bupropion-naltrexone combo best for weight loss.(Across Specialties)
Feb 01, 2008; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Combination therapy with bupropion and naltrexone resulted in superior weight loss, compared with placebo or either drug alone, Dr. Frank L. Greenway said at the annual meeting of NAASO, the Obesity Society. Individuals who were randomized to the experimental ...
Habits that bolster skin ca risk not one of a kind.(Across Specialties)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Most adults in the United States have at least two habits that increase their risk for skin cancer, according to findings from a study of more than 28,000 individuals. Despite decades of studies reinforcing a link between sun exposure and skin cancer, and attempts to educate the ...
CDC, Kaiser to investigate unexplained skin condition.(Across Specialties)
Feb 01, 2008; ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a study to improve understanding of an unexplained and controversial dermatologic condition known as Morgellons, which is affecting an increasing number of individuals both in the United States and abroad. Little is ...
Hair biopsy can help with diagnosis of trichotillomania.(Across Specialties)
Feb 01, 2008; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Few patients will admit that they compulsively pull out their hair, but a hair biopsy can help make the diagnosis of trichotillomania, Dr. Pearl C. Kwong said at a meeting sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. Clinically, the missing hair may be barely ...