ADHD

Animal models enable researchers to track amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis. Erik Storkebaum, MSc, and colleagues at the Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy at Flanders Interuniversity, Leuven, Belgium, took several approaches to increase supply of the neuroprotective protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in an animal model. "When administered to rats at 60 days, which is 1 month before symptoms, it delayed onset and prolonged survival by 22 days. When we gave VEGF at the age of disease onset, which more closely mimics the human situation, the treatment still prolonged life by an average of 10 days," Storkebaum reported at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in October 2004

At first glance, PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection) has little in common with the cuddly bear that roams the bamboo forests of southwest China. But, in fact, they share 2 important features: both are rare and both are threatened with extinction.

Can a common cough medicine contribute to effective treatment of symptoms in persons with neurologic disorders? The evidence is mounting in its favor. At the recent American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, research results were presented from a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study into the safety and efficacy of a dextromethorphan/quinidine capsule in

Ever since antiquity, thinkers have associated creativity with psychopathology--the classic idea of the "mad genius."

Autism is a highly prevalent, highly heterogeneous disorder of unknown etiology. Studies to clearly establish the efficacy of various classes of psychoactive drugs are scarce. Nonetheless, available findings do support the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants in treating the core symptoms of repetitive behavior.

Road rage is well known in popular culture and to many people it is a common and dangerous experience. Alcohol problems, illicit drug use and general psychiatric distress are associated with road rage perpetration. Road rage incidents may also result in psychiatric distress. Although treatment for road rage has received little research attention, encouraging results have been reported from specialized programs.

Although a lot remains to be learned, much is already known about the early childhood characteristics that predispose children to antisocial behavior and violence in adolescence and early adulthood, an expert in psychopathology said recently at a National Institutes of Health conference.

Despite the fact that awareness of HIV and AIDS transmission is pervasive, risky sexual behavior has been increasing in many parts of the world in recent years, with a concomitant rise in new cases of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children remains controversial. One of the more disturbing facets of its presentation in such young patients is the presence of hypersexual behavior. How can these behaviors be differentiated from the effects of abuse and other psychiatric disorders?

A greater understanding of how the brain works, including the effect of environment on it development, has led to advances in diagnosing and treating psychopathology. The latest findings will be presented at an international meeting, along with a discussion of how much work is to be done and the great need for qualified child psychiatrists, especially in developing countries.

There has been much thought and discussion about the relationship between pediatrics and psychiatry, but research on the integration of the two leaves much to the imagination.

In their introduction to the neuropsychiatry special report, Drs. Yudofsky and Hales recapitulate the evolution of neuropsychiatry over the past 150 years, offering up an answer to the question: "What is neuropsychiatry and how does it differ from the traditional specialties of neurology and psychiatry?"

The past two decades have ushered in a new era of methodological advances in tools for noninvasive imaging of the living brain. The information gleaned from advances in neuroimaging have been used to provide insights into ADHD's etiology, diagnosis and treatment.

In the United States, approximately 2% to 6% of school-age children are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Despite more than 50 years of clinical and neuroscientific research, appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for ADHD are still an issue for many people, and although reports summarize the current knowledge, they use parameters that are still based on the same descriptive determinations that have plagued the field for years.

Despite increased knowledge of child and adolescent mental health disorders worldwide, there is still a dearth of economic and human resources available to meet treatment needs, especially in developing countries. In this article, the impact of developed countries and the dimensions of this problem are discussed.

One of the spin-offs of the consensus statement is a study of the risk for metabolic disorders with antipsychotic use in children and adolescents. Here, the lead researcher discusses some of the group's initial findings.

Results from three statewide studies of the clinical practices for assessing and treating children and adolescents with a primary diagnosis of conduct disorder, ADHD or bipolar I disorder demonstrate gender and ethnic differences only for those diagnosed with conduct disorder. The implications of these findings and their similarities to the literature on adults with psychiatric disorders are discussed.

An increasing amount of systemic research has galvanized opinions regarding pediatric-onset bipolar disorder (BD). Although originally thought to be a rare condition, the number of pediatric-onset BD diagnoses is rising. This article summarizes current thinking regarding pediatric BD, including work focusing on presentation, psychiatric comorbidity and recent treatment data

The inability to create an accurate picture of self-awareness is a feature in many mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, personality disorders and substance abuse. At a Kansas City, Mo., conference, researchers begin to establish a biological basis for self-awareness and hope to isolate the deficits in the brain that causes abnormal functioning.

With all the various types of medications as well as different formulations that can be used to treat ADHD in adolescents, choosing the right one can be a difficult task. This analysis of the options will help make that choice easier.

Repetitive self-injury can be one of the more difficult conditions to treat. What is the biochemical basis for self-injury and how can psychiatrists treat this condition?

Medication and psychotherapy or counseling can be safely and effectively combined in patients with substance use and other psychiatric disorders. Differentiating between substance-induced psychiatric disorders and pre-existing psychiatric disorders facilitates the successful treatment of dually diagnosed patients. Find out what the latest research offers in the prognosis of psychiatric disorders and substance use.

Deficient omega-3 fatty acids can result in myriad pathological changes including altering the central nervous system. Their balance or imbalance changes receptor function, prostaglandin and cytokine production. Understanding the roles of these essential fatty acids is vital to remedying the fatty acid abnormalities found in a number of psychiatric disorders.

Weight-based dosing strategies have been used in psychostimulant studies for ADHD in children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. The efficacy of weight-based psychostimulant doses changes throughout early childhood and into adolescence in ways that are not in keeping with weight-based dosing practices. Future treatment and research must explore new possibilities in order to afford patients the most benefit for the least amount of effective drug intervention.

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders of childhood. Therapy should consist of education to reduce fears and concerns, psychotherapy to decrease triggers for seizures, and careful medication monitoring to avoid those drugs that reduce seizure threshold or have excessive interactions with antiepileptic drugs.