Neuropsychiatry

autism, mirror neuron defect

The online contents of the April 2006 issue of Psychiatric Times.

spinal cord injuries, SCI, neural network, axon stretch, stroke, neurorehabilitation, biomarkers, cystatin C, ALS, amyloid lateral sclerosis, MS, multiple sclerosis

Physicians who use electroconvulsivetherapy (ECT) need tobe vigilant for unstable medicalconditions before and during the courseof treatment. This brief review is intendedto highlight some basic principlesand specific concerns that maybe encountered in the use of ECT inpatients who have comorbid medicalillness.

The 5 papers in this Special Report on neuropsychiatry provide compelling evidence for the renaissance of neuropsychiatry as a clinical discipline. Wehave every reason to hope that this will lead to a better understanding of the complex interactions between brain and behavior and will reduce the artificial distinction between neurology and psychiatry.

First described more than 500 years ago, phantom limb pain affects as many as 50% to 80% of patients who undergo amputation. Although it is easy to recognize and diagnose, its cause remains unclear, it can be difficult to manage successfully, and health care professionals often do not address it.

Each year, more than 2 million individuals in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury. Increased vigilance for previously undiagnosed or incidental TBIs in general mental health populations may lead to more effective clinical management.

During and after menopause, many women report impairments in cognitive functioning. Should hormones be prescribed in an effort to mitigate cognitive symptoms of menopause?

The recent evolution of neuropsychiatry/behavioral neurology as a subspecialty represents a paradigmatic shift regarding the responsibility of psychiatrists in diagnosing and managing behavioral disorders with concomitant and demonstrable brain pathology such as dementia or head injury. This authors define the clinical usefulness of electroencephalography in evaluating neuropsychiatric disorders.

The cost-effectiveness of treatment for Alzheimer disease has been questioned. But until the next generation of therapeutics arrives, cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine will probably remain essential components of therapy for cognition and function.

Sleep-associated movement disorders are common in the general population. When patients complain of sleep disturbance, psychiatrists should consider,and question for, features of nocturnal movement disorder.

Psychiatrists specialize in mental phenomena, but this special expertise does not confer license to ignore the additional information that can be gathered from physical signs.

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to ameliorate respiratory impairment, which, as the disease worsens, is often responsible for death in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Its use, however, is uncommon, and its overall value in improving quality of life and survival has been debated. Findings of a randomized controlled study by a team from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, may shift clinicians' attitudes about the intervention.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, sural nerves, sural nerve involvement

In the late 1890s, Joseph Francois Felix Babinski (1857-1932), a French neurologist of Polish descent, discovered that if noxious stimulation of the sole of a patient's foot caused the big toe to rise and the other toes to splay, the reflex was indicative of corticospinal tract damage. "

Huntington disease, neurogenetics, George Sumner Huntington, Systematic Evaluation of Treatments for Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

traumatic brain injury, memory impairment, depression, neurobehavioral disorders

The multitalented psychiatrist talks with Psychiatric Times about his research, his literary work and the future of psychiatry itself.

Affecting 70% of patients with Alzheimer's disease and common in patients suffering from other dementing illnesses, apathy is associated with functional impairment and caregiver distress at all levels of disease severity. Assessment and treatment for this under-recognized syndrome are discussed.

Patients with HIV infection are at risk of developing psychiatric symptoms and disorders similar to those seen in the general population. What unique biological, psychological and environmental factors are involved in treating this population?

Health-related quality of life can provide a simultaneous and net assessment of the therapeutic and adverse affects of psychiatric treatments for depression. While the cognitive side effects of ECT might be thought of as a limiting factor in HRQOL gains, they have not been systematically studied until recently. Find out what quantitative assessment of HRQOL following ECT for major depressive disorder shows.

Through the Times With Max Fink, M.D. by Arline Kaplan Long viewed as a pre-eminent researcher and advocate for electroconvulsive therapy, Max Fink, M.D., reflects on more than five decades of groundbreaking research.

Updates Show Progress in TMS for Depression and Schizophrenia by Arline Kaplan In research presented at the 2005 APA annual meeting, transcranial magnetic stimulation is showing efficacy in treating depression and schizophrenia in the research setting. The question of how to translate those findings to a real-world setting still remains.

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.

Delirium,Dementia