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Since children are a vulnerable population, ethical issues in the conduct of medication studies involving them are extremely important. We recently reported the results of a study that examined youths' and parents' attitudes about, and experiences with, participation in psychopharmacology treatment research.

In a presentation given at the midyear meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, Andres Kanner, MD cited studies from the literature showing that the rates of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly higher among persons with epilepsy than among the general population

Most physicians make at least some use of the placebo effect to enhance treatments, whether they realize it or not. This article examines the extent of the placebo effect in patients with psychiatric illness, and reviews what is known about how placebos work.

Alcohol is the drug of choice for adolescents, with cigarettes and marijuana being second and third. Contrary to widespread belief, alcohol dependence is most common in 18- to 20-year-olds, with progressively decreasing rates of alcohol dependence in older age groups.

Depressive disorders and symptoms are common in cancer patients (up to 58% have depressive symptoms and up to 38% have major depression), worsen over the course of cancer treatment, persist long after cancer therapy, recur with the recurrence of cancer, and significantly impact quality of life.

The longitudinal course of bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by a low rate of recovery, a high rate of recurrence, and poor interepisodic functioning. There is a need to invoke a chronic disease management model (CDMM) when treating individuals with BD.

Emergency department (ED) visits have increased from 89 million in 1992 to more than 110 million in 2002, while the number of EDs decreased by about 15% during the same period. One suspected consequence of ED overcrowding is an increased tendency to disregard a psychiatric problem, especially if it is not the chief complaint.

Complaints of persistent memory loss in otherwise well-functioning individuals after recovery from a psychiatric illness through electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are best viewed as a conversion reaction or a somatoform disorder. The Camelford experience is a model for the complaints of ECT's profound personal memory losses.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been a significant public health problem for many years. However, the number of cases is continuing to grow at such an alarming rate that some have suggested we are facing or are already experiencing a diabetes epidemic.

Sleep disorders are very common and are often underrecognized and underreported in children. If left untreated, these disorders can cause serious developmental and physiologic problems.

It was just over a generation ago that the routine combination of psychotherapy and drug therapy seemed impossible. Then, one meta-analysis found that combined treatment with psychotherapy and medication was found to be notably superior to either treatment alone.

As Americans' use of personal electronic devices increases, so too, do the controversies surrounding these now seemingly indispensable tools.

Depression has long been recognized as a primary concern for health care providers. Many approaches to treating depression have been developed, ranging from medications, to long-term psychotherapy, to shorter, more structured cognitive-behavioral treatments--all of which help some of the patients, some of the time, to some extent.

CBT is a comprehensive system of therapy that builds on core therapeutic values by using a wide range of reliable methods to produce cognitive and behavioral change.

Despite advances in our understanding of depression therapy, many patients with depression remain unresponsive to treatment. As many as 50% of patients who begin treatment with an antidepressant do not respond.

Psychotropic Drug Handbook, 8th Edition

Dolls and other toys, such as teddy bears, can alleviate agitation, reduce withdrawal, help overcome communication challenges, and generally improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).

Spontaneous nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with greater mortality and more severe neurologic deficits than any other stroke subtype, with as many as half of all patients dying within 30 days and only 10% of survivors regaining functional independence.

At least 2 agents are being looked at as possible treatments for Huntington disease: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) inhibitor termed K245-14.

Gait deficits following stroke often are disabling and can dramatically reduce a patient's mobility. Affected patients are at high risk for debilitating falls that may result in fractures.

Men may be 2.2 times more likely than women to transmit multiple sclerosis (MS) to their children.

President George W. Bush's recent veto of the bill to expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research will probably not have any long-term devastating effects on the future treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) or Alzheimer disease (AD).

Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) may benefit patients with recurrent neuromyelitis optica (NMO) also known as Devic disease, an inflammatory disorder that strikes the optic nerves and spinal cord.

The addition of mitoxantrone (Novantrone) to interferon beta-1b (IFN beta-1b, Betaseron) therapy for the treatment of patients with aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) unresponsive to standard therapy may reduce the number of new enhancing lesions as well as life-threatening risks associated with mitoxantrone therapy.

Neurologists have long debated whether NMO is simply a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS) or a separate disease, and misdiagnosis is common.

How will the recent presidential veto on expansion of funding for stem cell research impact scientific endeavors in the United States?

Ampakines, agents that have been shown to enhance memory, appear to trigger endogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a natural mechanism in the brain that could restore neuronal viability and synaptic plasticity through increased trophic support.

An unfavorable prognosis may be in store for patients who report severely disrupted sleep patterns accompanied by rapid eye movement (REM).

Did you know the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) launched a new online epilepsy discussion forum this past February?

Although cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), specifically donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl), and rivastigmine (Exelon), are considered first-line treatment for Alzheimer disease (AD), they are not FDA-approved for use in late-stage disease.