Autism

An imbalance in blood levels of oxytocin may be associated with certain forms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Recent imaging studies have shown that patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) who were presented with images of human faces had lower responses in amygdala activity than controls. These studies strengthen the connection between the amygdala and the abnormal social-emotional behavior seen in patients with ASDs, said Chris Ashwin, PhD, senior research associate at the Autism Research Centre in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, UK.

New Act by Congress Gives Boost to Autism Research

In a recent article on genetic counseling in psychiatry, Christine Finn, MD, and Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, noted that family and twin studies have documented the familiality and heritability of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, autism, attention-deficit/hyper- activity disorder (ADHD), and Tourette syndrome, among others, and that molecular genetic studies have begun to identify possible susceptibility loci for several of these disorders, most notably schizophrenia.

It can be difficult to determine whether unusual, paroxysmal behavior represents a seizure or a nonepileptic event. Patients with convulsive, clonic movements may, in fact, be experiencing psychogenic events.

Effective antiepileptic therapy depends on balancing seizure control and tolerability, said Manoj Raghavan, MD, PhD, during a presentation at the midyear meeting of the American Epileptic Society in Chicago this past June. Tolerability places a ceiling on how far you can go in controlling seizures using medications alone, he commented.

Current treatments for autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are useful in some cases, but have little enduring impact. This had lead to many parents seeking nonconventional treatments that often border on quackery.

Dr Muller describes a case of a patient with a paranoid psychosis who clearly needs help, yet refuses treatment.

autism, mirror neuron defect

There is a tendency to avoid psychiatric medications during pregnancy, but the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in pregnant women means that women and their physicians must make impromptu decisions regarding the initiation or continuation of drug therapy.

The most common club drugs or party drugs are MDMA, ketamine and GHB. How dangerous is continued use of these substances? Can they cause real damage to the brain?

This article will provide an overview of treatment modalities, with emphasis on the future direction of interventions targeting aggression in children with autism.

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.

Many children today are receiving inadequate mental health care due to a decrease in the number of well-trained providers, while the prevalence of children's mental health problems is increasing. Legislation is pending in the U.S. House and Senate to address these issues.

Stereotypical portrayals of people with mental illness are as old as Hollywood itself. What are some of the clinical implications of the continued stigmatization of the mentally ill in television and film?

Although there is no pharmacological agent that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of autism, new studies are showing promise in not only discovering the cause of autism, but pharmacological treatments as well.

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.

Although the majority of American households includes a pet, it is only recently that we have begun to explore the relationship between people and their pets and the possible physical and emotional benefits of that relationship.

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.