News

A discussion about new depression treatments with the chairperson of Stanford University’s department of psychiatry, Alan Schatzberg, M.D.

Individuals with schizophrenia are at greater risk for weight gain than the general population. From recent research, it appears that some of the second-generation antipsychotics may be more likely to cause weight gain than others. Recommendations for treatment strategies are provided.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is one of the most devastating psychiatric disorders. Research has shown that a combination of multiple genes can lead to conditions for PTSD. Environmental factors, as well as comorbidities, must also be considered when looking for genetic conditions of PTSD.

Although lithium is still a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder, many psychiatrists are reluctant to use it due to blood monitoring requirements. The FDA has approved an in-office blood test that allows lithium blood levels to be obtained in minutes. The test is similar to glucose monitoring devices used for diabetes, and experts on BD are hoping it will increase the use of lithium, which has also been shown to lower the suicide rate among patients with this disorder.

Richard Berlin's Poetry Column

While the utilization of clinical genotyping to determine drug response and dosage has been anticipated for many years, the actual utilization of screening for atypical drug metabolizers has only recently become a reality. What is the promise of this technology, as well as the limitations?

New research into the genetic basis and possible genetic markers for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may open the door for new treatments. There is a clear concordance between twins who have ADHD, as well as siblings. What can genetic mapping tell us about treating ADHD?

Kapur S, Arenovich T, Agid O, et al. Evidence for onset of antipsychotic effects within the first 24 hours of treatment. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:939-946.

"The use of restraints . . . may have catastrophic impact on outpatient treatment compliance, leading to a vicious cycle of noncompliance followed by admission to a PES, with the possibility of repeated use of restraints."

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An estimated 1,368,000 new cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed and 563,700 cancer-related deaths occurred in the United States in 2004

The infamous trial of People v Schmidt, presided over by Justice Benjamin Cardozo, provides a cautionary tale for forensic psychiatrists. In his commentary on a biography of the celebrated judge, Stone assesses the quest to clarify the meaning and scope of the insanity defense.

Suicidal behavior is a complex and multi-factorial phenomenon for which epidemiological genetics suggests a genetic basis that may be specific and independent from those implicated in the vulnerability to the psychiatric disorders associated with SB. Recently, new molecular biology tools have been designed to identify predisposition factors to complex disorders. One of the main goals of current studies is to specify the suicidal phenotype, as well as the intermediate phenotypes associated with these genes.

Research at the Crossroads of Genetics and Psychiatry

Many physicians who work in the emergency department (ED) consider the agitated patient the bane of their existence. These patients are frequently difficult to deal with, are uncooperative, and can bring an already busy ED to its knees. Although it is easy to understand why severely agitated patients are commonly placed in restraints or seclusion, it is essential that cooler minds prevail when an agitated patient presents to the ED. The patient should be treated with dignity, respect, and understanding. Because these patients often cannot express their feelings adequately, many who work in the ED do not realize that these patients do not like the feeling of being out of control.

Articles on psychiatric emergency services (PESs) published between 1983 and 2003 were reviewed to evaluate research on providers, clients, and services; access, use, evaluation, treatment, and continuity of care; and outcomes of the use of PESs. Eighty-five articles were selected as representative of the literature on variation in PES arrangement and effectiveness. The Donabedian model (structures, processes, and outcomes) was used to evaluate health care services.

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Restraints and seclusion have been used for many years in emergency departments (EDs) and psychiatric emergency services (PESs), but anecdotal case reports and newspaper investigations as well as clinical advances have led to restrictions in their use.

Dr Zun has done an excellent job of reviewing the many controversies and complexities that surround the use of mechanical and chemical restraint as well as seclusion. He also shows us how many unanswered questions there are about such interventions. For example, an insightful psychiatric resident once raised the question of which intervention was more restrictive and stigmatizing: seclusion or restraint?

The use of restraint and seclusion remains a controversial issue, and emergency care providers must remain absolutely current on it. We can come under criticism both for using too much coercion and for not using enough. Restraint and seclusion exist at an intersection of science, government policy, and public perception. These seemingly straightforward forms of medical coercion are still, in actuality, far from straightforward.

"Chemobrain," a term coined by patients in breast cancer support groups to describe cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy, is becoming a subject of research.

Sensitivity and specificity of a new bipolar spectrum diagnostic scale.

Recent research has shown environmental factors may increase the risk of schizophrenia in persons who may already have a genetic predisposition toward the illness.