Clinical Psychiatry News back issues from September 2008:
Be proactive in preschool PTSD.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Preschool children with posttraumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed effectively when treated with trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, according to preliminary study results. It is important to take a proactive approach when treating young children with ...
Vital sings.
Sep 01, 2008 ... Median Income for Psychiatrists * Adjusted for inflation to 2000'dollars; ...
Behavioral Tx can delay initiation of ADHD medication: study enrolled 127 children aged 5-12 years.(News)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- Using behavioral interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder delayed the start of medication and reduced the dose needed in a randomized, controlled study of 127 schoolchildren. The study is the first to use behavioral modification before initiating ...
Combat deployment boosts alcohol problems.(News)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008; ... A new study shows that combat deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan raises the risk of new-onset heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and other alcohol-related problems. The increased risks are highest among members of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard rather than other ...
Risky sex studied in HIV positive.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... MEXICO CITY -- About one-third of HIV-positive adults have recently engaged in sexual behavior that could put others at risk for infection, but the factors associated with such behavior differ for women, heterosexual men, and men who have sex with men, according to a new study. ...
Maneuvering begins on Hill for health reform.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Democrats and Republicans are so confident about the chances of some type of health reform in the next administration that staff meetings and hearings geared toward crafting legislation have been going on in earnest in both the House and the Senate, with the goal of being ready to go in ...
They'rrrre baaaaack! Harry and Louise redux.(News)
Sep 01, 2008 ... Harry and Louise, who became infamous in a 1993-1994 television ad lambasting the Clinton administration's health care reform plan, were dragged briefly out of mothballs to appear in a new commercial that urged Congress and the next president to make such reform the top domestic policy ...
Mifepristone may limit weight gain from antipsychotics.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- The cortisol antagonist mifepristone significantly decreased weight gain associated with the second-generation antipsychotic olanzapine in a randomized, controlled pilot study in 57 healthy men. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical abortion drug, ...
FDA issues guidance on conflicts of interest.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Experts serving on the Food and Drug Administration's advisory committees are now subject to new rules aimed at ensuring that they do not have conflicts of interest that could bias their decisions. In early August, the FDA issued four final guidance documents and a draft ...
Did black box warning affect psychiatrists more?(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- The proportion of clinic visits to psychiatrists involving antidepressants for youths fell compared with the proportion of visits to primary care physicians after the black box warning linking antidepressant use to suicidality in youths. However, visits by adults for ...
SSRIs, SNRIs raise risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Antidepressants that block action on the serotonin reuptake mechanism appear to raise the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding to the same degree that antiplatelet drugs do, a new report shows. In a case-control study involving more than 11,000 subjects, both selective ...
Hormone therapy may benefit cognition, memory.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Hormone therapy might preserve cognition and memory in postmenopausal women, and even attenuate some of the cognitive deficits that occur in Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests. Controversy exists over the possible cognitive benefits of hormone therapy in older ...
Perinatal depression patients want flexibility in therapy.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- Flexibility in scheduling would help depressed women access cognitive-behavioral therapy during or just after pregnancy, a survey of 24 women found. A little more respect would be nice too, they said. Results of the qualitative survey informed a revision of a ...
Antidementia drugs may prolong life in AD.(News)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO--Continuous use of antidementia drugs is associated with a decreased risk of death in Alzheimer's patients. Specifically, those who took the medications for more than 70% of the time since being diagnosed with dementia lived an average of 3 years longer than did those who took them ...
Imaging and measurements predict status of ad dementia.(News)
Sep 01, 2008 ... CHICAGO -- A combination of specialized brain imaging and cerebrospinal amyloid [[beta].sub.42] measurements powerfully predicts the presence--and absence--of Alzheimer's-type dementia. For several years researchers have focused on A[[beta].sub.42] in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ...
Metabolic syndrome may hasten 'neuroaging'.(News)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008 ... CHICAGO -- Older people with metabolic syndrome are significantly more likely to experience depression and deficits in cognition and function as they age than are their healthier peers. The presence of metabolic sydrome explained up to 34% of the age-related declines that Dr ....
Frequently asked questions about Alzheimer's.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Interview)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Although the symptoms of failing memory may have long provoked suspicion, a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease brings those suspicions into stark reality for both patients and their families. The words unleash a flood of questions. Patients may feel we are handing them ...
Passage of genetics law is perfect bookend.(Guest editorial)
Sep 01, 2008; ... The passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act in late May, ushered in what Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) called "the first civil rights bill of the new century of the life sciences." Under the legislation, U.S. citizens now are afforded nationwide protection from ...
Adopt guidelines for e-mail questions.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Sep 01, 2008; ... I recently received a lengthy e-mail from a very worried woman. She claimed to be an established patient in my office, which I had no way of confirming because she did not sign her message. She asked many questions about sexually transmitted diseases and how they might affect her and a new ...
More discussion on HSAs.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Regarding the recent opinion piece on health savings accounts, both Dr. Steffie Woolhandler and Greg Scandlen omitted important facts ("Do high deductible plans coupled with HSAs promote underinsurance?" Point/Counterpoint, July 2008, p.14). Dr. Woolhandler ignored the very real ...
Bill is 'too little, too late'.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... I read with amazement about "legislation aimed at addressing the potential crisis in providing care for elderly Americans" ("Senate Bill Seeks to Encourage Care for Elderly," May 2008, p. 78). What kind of journalism doesn't face reality? "Potential"? We are already in deep ...
Pain relievers.(Cartoon)
Sep 01, 2008 ... "The doctor ...
Terazosin helps ease drug-induced sweating.(Adult Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- All 16 patients involved in preliminary open-label trials responded to off-label treatment with terazosin for antidepressant-treatment with terazosin for antidepressant induced excessive sweating. Between 5% and 14% of patients on a selective serotonin reuptake ...
Lithium still has a place in bipolar treatment: mood stabilizer is effective for most patients at low levels, but side effects give U.S. clinicians pause.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
Sep 01, 2008; ... The use of lithium as a mood stabilizer remains popular in Europe, but U.S. psychiatrists increasingly tend to favor other medications to treat bipolar disorder. Some experts say that's because U.S. clinicians are more easily manipulated by pharmaceutical company marketing; others defend ...
Maternal paroxetine unrelated to cardiac malformations.(Adult Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... MONTEREY, CALIF. -- There is no statistically significant association between paroxetine usage during the first trimester of pregnancy and an increased risk of cardiac malformations in the infants, according to a meta-analysis of nine studies. A selective serotonin reuptake ...
Tricyclic beat SSRI for Parkinson's patients.(Adult Psychiatry)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008; ... PHOENIX -- Nortriptyline was more effective than paroxetine or placebo in treating depression in patients with Parkinson's disease, an 8-week pilot study of 52 patients found. The study, while small, is the largest placebo-controlled trial of treating depression in patients with ...
Benzodiazepines for major depression.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
Sep 01, 2008; ... The Problem You have a patient with major depression. Symptoms include anxiety and insomnia. You prescribe an antidepressant and consider immediate augmentation with a benzodiazepine, but you are worried about the possibility that benzodiazepines could worsen the depression. ...
A recent study shows that the provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists has declined sharply. Is psychiatry in danger of losing psychotherapy as a tool?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
Sep 01, 2008; ... The idea of addressing these study results left me ambivalent--at first. Not only had I written about this for several years, but so had several very important leaders in American psychiatry. In the 1960s, for example, Dr. Mort Reiser and Dr. Leon Eisenberg wrote seminal ...
Systematic desensitization in 10 steps.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
Sep 01, 2008; ... In previous discussions about behavioral strategies that can be used to treat patients in anxiety-provoking situations, I have referred to the procedures of reciprocal inhibition and systematic desensitization. Several psychiatrists and psychologists have asked to me to further ...
Depression, drug abuse predict postpartum suicidal ideation.(Adult Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- Current major depressive episode and drug abuse appear to be significant predictors of suicidal ideation in postpartum women, according to a study of 400 women with a history of neuropsychiatric illness who were followed before and after delivery. Women with a ...
Risk factors identified for early heavy drinking.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- Tobacco use and the expectation of social and physical pleasure from alcohol consumption significantly predict the transition to heavy drinking among adolescents and young adults, a 5-year study of more than 200 people shows. Tobacco use (100 or more cigarettes ...
Survey addresses pediatricians' role in identifying, treating mental illness.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Survey results suggesting that pediatricians are more comfortable identifying--but not treating--most children's mental health problems are consistent with previous findings, a leading child and adolescent psychiatrist says. "With the exception of attention-deficit/hyperactivity ...
Children's hostility tied to high BP.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... HONOLULU -- Children who perceive the world in hostile ways are significantly more likely to have hypertension, according to a study of almost 900 children. A style of interaction marked by hostility has long been known to be a risk factor for hypertension in adults, but with ...
Fitness may limit brain atrophy in Alzheimer's: the level of fitness was strongly related to volume in the parietal area and also in the hippocampus.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Keeping fit may help reduce brain atrophy in patients with early Alzheimer's, researchers said at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease. An exercise-tolerance study confirmed that the hippocampus, one of the first brain regions to be affected in ...
Antihistamine may slow pace of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008 ... CHICAGO -- An off-the-market antihistamine previously shown to slow cognitive decline over 1 year in Alzheimer's patients continued to preserve cognition and memory during a 6-month open-label extension trial. The drug, dimebon, also stabilized cognition in patients who started ...
Marital status at midlife linked to Alzheimer's risk later.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008 ... CHICAGO -- People who are married from mid-to late life are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, while those who remain single face up to an eightfold increased risk, Krister Hakansson said at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease. The ...
Risky sex behaviors seen with continued drinking.(Addiction Psychiatry)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- Drug-using heavy drinkers who continue to get drunk at least weekly after alcohol treatment are more than four times as likely to engage in HIV-related sexual behaviors as are those who abstain after treatment, a study of more than 200 patients shows. Among ...
Perspective.(make adolescents good)
Sep 01, 2008; ... If you have models for how life works, you feel a sense of mastery and power because, as a result of knowing, you can adjust your thinking and behavior to make yourself less vulnerable. This is a critical component of building resiliency in bereaved adolescents. Helping ...
Navigating adolescent grief.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
Sep 01, 2008; ... <Pre> "So many feelings and so much pain Your death really hurt me; I'll never be the same I try to express it, try to explain So many feelings and so much pain." </Pre> These lyrics by Thomas A. Dalton, a West Plam Beach, Fla.--based music therapist and licensed mental health ...
Brain stimulation tops medication for Parkinson's.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Preliminary data from two trials suggest that deep brain stimulation may be superior to the best medical therapy in Parkinson's disease, and that stimulating specific targets may lead to different cognitive and mood outcomes. Complete data on 230 of 255 patients with ...
DBS improves tic severity in Tourette syndrome patients.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- Deep brain stimulation of limbic relays within the basal ganglia circuitry reduced tic severity in patients with Tourette syndrome, according to data from a small double-blind, randomized crossover study. In three patients with severe and medically refractory Tourette ...
Data watch.
Sep 01, 2008 ... Epilepsy-Related Hospital Stays Are on the Rise (in ...
Nerve stimulation shows efficacy for migraine: technique associated with fewer headache days, less intense pain in patients with refractory headache.(Pain Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... BOSTON -- The efficacy of occipital nerve stimulation in the first clinical trial of its use in the treatment of refractory migraines suggests that the technique may be a promising option for individuals who have not responded to medication or other established therapies, according to Dr ....
Milnacipran could improve fibromyalgia-related pain.(Pain Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- The antidepressant milnacipran appears to provide sustained pain relief in patients with fibromyalgia. In a 28-week, randomized blinded extension trial in 449 patients with fibromyalgia, durable pain relief and improved overall well-being was reported after 1year of ...
Peer program targets eating disorders in athletes.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... SEATTLE -- A peer-led program appeared to be successful in decreasing the risk of eating disorders among female college athletes, according to early results involving 64 participants. The risk of eating disorders among female college women generally, said Carolyn B. Becker, ...
Agent may ease Parkinson's psychosis symptoms.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- The investigational agent pimavanserin appears to lessen the symptoms of psychosis in patients with Parkinson's disease without worsening motor function, according to data from a multicenter randomized phase II trial involving 60 patients. Pimavanserin is a potent, ...
Tricyclics and SSRIs show efficacy for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... SAN DIEGO -- There is a strong rationale as well as some evidence supporting the use of tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, Dr. Lin Chang said at the annual Digestive Disease Week. Dr. Chang, a ...
Insomnia is common during chemotherapy.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
Sep 01, 2008; ... CHICAGO -- The prevalence of insomnia is roughly three times greater among cancer patients than it is among the general population, according to a secondary analysis of more than 500 patients. The prevalence of insomnia that meets clinical criteria was 45.6% among cancer ...
Lupus has many Neuropsychiatric manifestations: headaches, cognitive disorders, psychosis, and seizures tend to occur early in the disease course.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... DESTIN, FLA. -- Neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus occur in more than 80% of patients during the course of disease, and can pose particular challenges to clinicians caring for these patients. Not only can such manifestations of lupus be difficult to ...
Ethnicity appears to affect SLE incidence, manifestations.(Across Specialties)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2008; ... DESTIN, FLA. -- Ethnicity appears to play an important role in the incidence and clinical manifestations of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus, data from a recent study suggest. Findings from the study of 87 white and 154 nonwhite children showed that more than 60% of ...
Once-weekly statin dosing avoids adverse effects.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... TORONTO -- A once-a-week dose of rosuvastatin was at least partially effective and tolerable for 37 patients who had previously been unable to stay on statin therapy because of adverse effects. Although the once-weekly regimen did not bring down serum levels of low-density ...
Simvastatin-amiodarone interaction prompts alert.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Patients on amiodarone and simvastatin should not take more than 20 mg of the statin a day, because of an increased risk of rhabdomyolysis when the two drugs are used together, according to a Food and Drug Administration alert. "This risk is dose-related and increases when a ...
Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce new-onset atrial fibrillation risk.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... TORONTO -- Patients with cardiovascular disease on an oral regimen of omega-3 fatty acid had a 73% reduced risk for developing atrial fibrillation in a retrospective, observational study of more than 11,000 patients. Although the study controlled for identified confounding ...
Heart groups acknowledge apnea-CVD link.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... In the face of rising rates of obesity, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, physicians need to be mindful of the mounting evidence for a link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease when evaluating patients, according to a joint American Heart Association and ...
For psoriasis patients, sleep is often disturbed.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... KYOTO, JAPAN -- The strongest predictor of sleep disturbance in psoriasis patients is concomitant psoriatic arthritis, according to Dr. Kristina P. Callis Duffin. Other significant--albeit far less potent--predictors of sleep interference are a patient's degree of ...
Quality-of-life impact significant in psoriasis: Canadian survey finds that only 24% of respondents reported satisfaction with their current treatment.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... MONTERAL -- Moderate to severe psoriasis significantly impairs physical and psychosocial functioning and represents a potentially serious detriment to the well-being of patients, according to a survey of more than 500 Canadians with the condition. An online survey of 514 people ...
Association between diet, acne gains footing in literature.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Most physicians, taught that diet is unrelated to the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, dismiss as folklore the frequent questions posed by patients and family members as to whether eating greasy foods, chocolate, or other sweets causes their skin problem. The ...
MCI tied to type 2 diabetes duration and complications.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Mild cognitive impairment correlates with earlier onset of type 2 diabetes, its complications, and longer duration of the disease, according to a population-based case-control study of nearly 2,000 elderly subjects. Mayo Clinic researchers found evidence suggesting that ...
Try these tips to discuss sexual problems with diabetes patients.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... San Francisco -- People with diabetes frequently experience sexual problems, but many physicians are reluctant to broach the subject. However, "you don't need to be Dr. Ruth to open up these conversations," Mitchell S. Tepper, Ph.D., said at the annual scientific sessions of the ...
Projected rise in cases of common chronic diseases, 2003-2023.(DATA WATCH)
Sep 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Projected Rise in Cases of Common Chronic Diseases, 2003-2023 Cancers 62% Mental disorders 54% Diabetes 53% Heart disease 41% Hypertension ...
Diabetes can bring on sexual intimacy issues.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... San Francisco -- Consider the partners of diabetes patients when talking about sexual problems in diabetes, Lawrence Fisher, Ph.D., suggested. Although only one member of a couple may have diabetes, "Partners are very often hidden patients," Dr. Fisher said at the annual ...
Temporary weight loss helps type 2 patients.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Weight loss in the years immediately following a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is associated with significant, long-term improvement in glycemic and blood pressure control even if the weight is later regained back to baseline levels, according to a retrospective cohort study of 3-year ...
Diabetes program a success in community hospital.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON -- A program for inpatient diabetes care that reflects current management approaches was successfully exported from an academic medical center to a neighboring inner-city community hospital, resulting in improved measures of diabetes care and education. "An ...
Gastric bypass lowers Hb[A.sub.1c] levels in diabetes.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- Patients with type 2 diabetes who have undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery might experience a significant drop in hemoglobin [A.sub.1c] levels to below the cutoff value recommended in guidelines, according to a retrospective study. The ...
Metabolic syndrome predicts diabetes, not CVD.(Across Specialties)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Metabolic syndrome is associated with type 2 diabetes but not cardiovascular disease in elderly patients, investigators have reported. Criteria for metabolic syndrome were developed to help improve understanding of the links between insulin resistance and vascular disease, but ...