Although several clinical studies suggest that cognitive impairments in schizophrenia are associated with reduced stimulation of dopamine receptors in the prefrontal cortex, mounting evidence suggests that other monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems may also be involved. We provide an overview of neurotransmitters that hold promise as therapeutic interventions for the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia.
An in-depth CME on DSM-5 criteria for persistent complex bereavement disorder and the clinical management of pathological reactions to the death of a loved one.
Non-adherence to prescribed medication by patients with psychiatric disorders is one of the greatest challenges reported by clinicians.
In this podcast, Dr Caine discusses the many issues associated with suicide and touches on specific articles in this Special Report.
Many of the advantages of the MAOIs are seen with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which have become the drugs of choice in the treatment of panic disorder.
If larger trials confirm the strong antidepressant effects observed so far, botulinum toxin may become a standard therapeutic addition to the psychiatric armamentarium.
A review of targeted treatment strategies for symptom domains when impulsivity and compulsivity become dysfunctional.
The key to addressing mental health may lie in business innovation theories.
Certain aspects of depression result from maladaptive stress-induced changes in reward circuits of the brain.
Anxiety disorders occur in 18% to 28% of the US general population during any 12-month period. In anxiety disorder, there is a 33% to 45% 12-month prevalence rate for a comorbid substance use disorder (SUD).
In 1988 I was working as a general adult psychiatrist with a specialty in addictions. One day, a newly referred patient came to my office accompanied by his mother. Although he was well groomed, he was distinctly "nerdy." When I inquired about his chief complaint, his mother quickly explained that, although he had graduated from community college, he was unable to secure a job interview due to his obsessing on the details of his resume.
In this podcast, Dr Eric Plakun give an overview of key points and psychodynamic principles on treatment-resistent mood disorders, based on research and clinical experience.
Effective psychodynamic strategies can help to engage difficult patients in psychotherapy, enhancing treatment outcomes and fostering meaningful therapeutic alliances.
Although malignant brain tumors affect thousands of persons each year, treatment has not significantly advanced. For 3 decades, the standard of care was palliative surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Of these, radiotherapy was the only proven way to lengthen survival time. However, since 2005 the standard of treatment has changed thanks to studies showing posi- tive results from daily temozolo- mide (Temodar) combined with radiotherapy.
As our understanding of the brain and new technologies have rapidly evolved, such an extensive text on psychiatric ethics is clearly timely.
When it comes to e-mail, I typically warn my [physician] clients of the following.
Depression and diabetes can prey on the shortcomings of our health care system, such as fragmented, episodic care and poor continuity. Coordinating care can be fraught with difficulties, but it is the goal of many current efforts in health care reform.
Medical professionals may be reluctant to initiate a discussion about driving with older patients in anticipation of a negative impact on the physician-patient relationship.
This article focuses on data concerning the efficacy of mood stabilizers in the treatment of BPD.
Before flibanserin, there were no FDA-approved treatments for hypoactive sexual desire disorder. The authors clarify the intricacies of an HSDD diagnosis and discuss implications for treatment.
When the solution to a clinical or scientific puzzle eludes us for more than a century, as with schizophrenia, we need new methods to examine the pathology. If we want to make an impact on the disease we must shift research paradigms and focus on the early detection, early intervention, and new avenues of treatment that address different symptoms of schizophrenia.
Sometimes viewed as “legal cocaine,” the over-the-counter status of synthetic cathinones (aka bath salts) gives the illusion that they are safe. In fact, they are highly toxic.
A complex and heterogeneous condition characterized by a variety of symptoms and marked variability in disease course, bipolar disorder is marked by episodes of depression, hypomania, mania, or psychosis and,patients can experience a mixture of emotional states.
In Angst: Origins of Anxiety and Depression, Dr Jeffrey Kahn offers an alternative perspective on the evolution of common mental health disorders by considering the adaptive nature of symptoms that modern clinicians deem pathological.
Youth today have a relatively nuanced and mixed experience with social media. How can you best navigate this relationship as a mental health clinician?
Current research investigates new pathophysiologic mechanisms and lays the groundwork for redefining schizophrenia based on distinct medical subclasses-which may lead to more targeted and effective treatments. Details here.
The Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC recently hosted the first of 2 workshops on “Leaders and Terrorists: Psychological Perspectives on National Security.”
MRI has provided important insights into the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS).1 However, conventional MRI scans furnish only gross estimates of the nature and extent of tissue damage associated with MS,2 and the data correlate poorly with measures of concurrent disability in patients.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be tailored for use with children who have experienced sexual abuse in order to relieve symptoms of PTSD.
The authors review the clinical use of ketamine as the anesthetic induction agent in ECT and discuss the evidence that it augments antidepressant response and reduces cognitive adverse effects.