The Piccolo Player and His Last Tragic Tune
September 18, 2019
Dysdiadochokinesia was a hard word to remember—and an impossible one to forget.
Sharon Packer, MD
Things Are Seldom What They Seem
July 22, 2019
Doing a review of systems wasn’t “rocket science,” as they say—but it was a classic example of medical science and of why psychiatrists are physicians first.
Lessons Learned From Mental Health Portrayals in Video Games
February 26, 2018
A review of the video game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and implications for psychiatry.
Taming Trichotillomania While Weeding the Garden
July 13, 2017
Her mention of gardens got me to thinking, not just about fragrant flowers but also about “symptom substitution,” an old-time favorite of behavioral psychologists. Which activities most resemble hair-pulling? Weeding, for one.
The Wandering Woman: A Pituitary Tumor
May 18, 2017
How does a pituitary result in a psychiatric emergency? Read more clues to this clinical puzzle.
“A Penny for Your Thoughts”—or What Would Rod Serling Say About E-prescribing?
October 25, 2016
What does mandated electronic prescribing have to do with that old show, Twilight Zone?
A Heartfelt Memoir About Tay-Sachs
August 2, 2016
Unrelenting belief in the goodness of humankind while confronting an uncommon disease.
Soul and Soma: Let’s Drink (Tea) to That!
July 28, 2016
Today’s psychiatrists rarely have the luxury of time enjoyed by our fin-de-siècle forebears. So a few quick questions for the right patients can offer a big payoff. Here's a case in point.
The Mind-Body Divide: As Seen Through a Jaundiced Eye
January 1, 2016
Psychiatrists increasingly recognize that not all treatments for depression are created equal—but in this case, an entirely different diagnosis came to light.
Case Study: Mysterious Pain in Older Veteran
May 15, 2015
The patient did not just scream for more medication—he literally rolled on the floor, ranting and raving and demanding higher doses. Some may write him off as an "addict," but this case reaffirms the value of studying medicine before practicing psychiatry or psychopharmacology.
