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Category 1 CME Credit

Understanding the Differences Between Impulsivity and Compulsivity

Impulsivity and compulsivity are natural behaviors controlled by brain mechanisms that are essential for survival in all species. Understanding these brain mechanisms may lead to targeted treatment strategies for these symptom domains when impulsivity and compulsivity become dysfunctional.


The Concept of Recovery in Major Depression

In clinical medicine, the term recovery connotes the act of regaining or returning to a normal or usual state of health. However, there is lack of consensus about the use of this term (which may indicate both a process and a state), as well as of the related word remission, which indicates a temporary abatement of symptoms. Such ambiguities also affect the concepts of relapse (the return of a disease after its apparent cessation) and recurrence (the return of symptoms after a remission).


Diagnosing and Treating ADHD in Adults

In the past 15 years, there has been an increasing awareness of the syndromal persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) into adulthood. Once considered only a childhood disorder, ADHD has become increasingly recognized as a valid psychiatric disorder in adults.


Sleep Disorders in the Elderly

Aging is often associated with complaints of difficulties with sleep, as evidenced by reports that up to 50% of older US adults complain of chronic trouble with sleep.1 Research has found that a number of normal changes in sleep occur with aging, which may explain some of these complaints.2 However, there are a variety of conditions that may account for the sleep difficulties experienced by many older adults, including specific sleep disorders, circadian rhythm disturbances, and medical and psychiatric comorbidities.


Schizophrenia, Metabolic Syndrome, and Antipsychotics

Schizophrenia, a devastating mental illness that affects nearly 2.2 million Americans, is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Individuals with schizophrenia have a 20% shorter life expectancy than the general population. Furthermore, among persons with schizophrenia, there is an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome characterized by a constellation of risk factors, including insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, all of which contribute to the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.


Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Application

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was developed as a treatment for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), particularly those who deliberately harm themselves physically or who often think about and/or attempt suicide.


Neurocognitive Impairment in Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been described as bordering on 3 DSM classifications: schizophrenia and the psychoses, mood disorders, and impulse control disorders.


Antipsychotic-Induced Movement Disorders: A Focus on Atypical Antipsychotics

The atypical antipsychotics, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, and most recently paliperidone, are used to treat an array of disorders, including schizophrenia, acute mania, bipolar disorder (maintenance treatment), psychosis secondary to a general medical condition, and delirium. These agents received the atypical designation because compared with conventional antipsychotics they demonstrate antipsychotic efficacy while displaying a low propensity to produce extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD).


The Neural Substrates of Addiction

The social burden of substance abuse and addiction is astounding. In the United States, the economic toll arising from the associated crime, loss of productivity, and medical consequences reaches an estimated half a trillion dollars per year.


Integrating Diagnostic, Psychopharmacological, and Educational Interventions for Children With...

As the prevalence of autism and pervasive developmental disorders increases, many physicians in private practice are faced with the challenge of diagnosing these disorders and working with families and other professionals to develop and implement appropriate interventions. For those who do not have the advantage of working in a multidisciplinary medical clinic or hospital setting, this task may be overwhelming.


Impulse Control Disorders: Clinical Characteristics and Pharmacological Management

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are common psychiatric conditions in which affected individuals typically report significant impairment in social and occupational functioning, and may incur legal and financial difficulties as well.


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