Most Americans with major depression go untreated or under treated using a benchmark of American Psychiatric Association guidelines, according to a national study released this week.
Mexican Americans and African Americans are the least likely to receive treatment, especially treatment consistent with the guidelines, the study found. Those racial and ethnic disparities persisted regardless of health insurance coverage.
"Our findings support the conclusion that the U.S. mental health system is broken," Dr. Hector M. Gonzalez of Wayne State University, Detroit, and first author of the study, told Reuters Health by email.
The findings stem from interviews conducted between 2001 and 2003 with a diverse group of more than 15,000 Americans aged 18 and older.
A little more than 8 percent of the sample suffered from major depression, researchers found, including roughly 8 percent of Mexican Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Latino whites, and nearly 12 percent of Puerto Rican Americans.
Overall, only about half of those with depression received some type of treatment in the past year and less than a quarter had received "guideline-based" treatment, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Showing posts with label treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label treatment. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, November 15, 2009
New Treatment for Autism 'Holds Promise'
A new treatment for autism appears to normalize brain function, according to Nashville physician Fred S. Starr, MD, FAACAP, BCIA-EEG.
In addition to high serotonin levels, autistic children have a characteristically common "u" EEG pattern reflecting impaired brain function, particularly in areas of the brain responsible for social interaction, communication, speech and bonding.
However, Quantitative EEG's conducted by Dr. Starr on autistic children after three weeks on the medication Respen-A showed that the children's brain patterning changed to "normal" patterning. Starr says that behavioral improvement was also "evident". "Speech, interaction and social skills improved markedly in patients using Respen-A, and displays of frustration and anger markedly diminished," Starr said.
The theory behind the use of Respen-A was developed by private researcher Elaine DeLack, Stanwood, WA. Unlike theories that center on negative reaction to vaccinations, DeLack looked at exposure to a commonly used drug used during delivery, and at brain enzymes that affect the brain both at birth, and again as the child enters childhood.
READ MORE @ EARTHTIMES
In addition to high serotonin levels, autistic children have a characteristically common "u" EEG pattern reflecting impaired brain function, particularly in areas of the brain responsible for social interaction, communication, speech and bonding.
However, Quantitative EEG's conducted by Dr. Starr on autistic children after three weeks on the medication Respen-A showed that the children's brain patterning changed to "normal" patterning. Starr says that behavioral improvement was also "evident". "Speech, interaction and social skills improved markedly in patients using Respen-A, and displays of frustration and anger markedly diminished," Starr said.
The theory behind the use of Respen-A was developed by private researcher Elaine DeLack, Stanwood, WA. Unlike theories that center on negative reaction to vaccinations, DeLack looked at exposure to a commonly used drug used during delivery, and at brain enzymes that affect the brain both at birth, and again as the child enters childhood.
READ MORE @ EARTHTIMES
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dementia's effects vary with cause
Dementia is an illness characterized by significant impairment of one or more areas of higher cognitive functioning, such as memory or ability to calculate. Dr. Mel Daly, a geriatrician at Greater Baltimore Medical Center Greater Geriatrics Group, discusses symptoms and treatment for dementia.
•About one in five people over age 80 have some form of dementia. Close relatives of people with early onset (before age 60) Alzheimer's disease have a greater chance of getting the disease. Those with genes from a group called ApoE are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. All persons with Down syndrome will eventually get Alzheimer's if they live long enough, and about half of patients with Parkinson's disease will develop a dementia similar to Alzheimer's. Head trauma or repeated blows to the head are also risk factors.
•Chronic alcoholism often results in dementia. Persons with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smokers, high cholesterol levels, and atrial fibrillation are at risk for strokes that impair higher cognitive functioning.
Dementia can occur in patients with AIDS. Rarely, dementia is caused by other infections such as tertiary syphilis and viruses (Jacob-Creutzfeld disease).
READ MORE @ BALTIMORE SUN
•About one in five people over age 80 have some form of dementia. Close relatives of people with early onset (before age 60) Alzheimer's disease have a greater chance of getting the disease. Those with genes from a group called ApoE are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. All persons with Down syndrome will eventually get Alzheimer's if they live long enough, and about half of patients with Parkinson's disease will develop a dementia similar to Alzheimer's. Head trauma or repeated blows to the head are also risk factors.
•Chronic alcoholism often results in dementia. Persons with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smokers, high cholesterol levels, and atrial fibrillation are at risk for strokes that impair higher cognitive functioning.
Dementia can occur in patients with AIDS. Rarely, dementia is caused by other infections such as tertiary syphilis and viruses (Jacob-Creutzfeld disease).
READ MORE @ BALTIMORE SUN
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Treatment guidelines issued on depression during pregnancy
For women with serious conditions, medication may be the best route, but 'talk therapy' may alleviate suffering for others, according to a document prepared by two national physicians groups.
For the nearly one in four women who experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy, physicians on the front lines have long had little more than a prescription for antidepressants and a massive dose of uncertainty to offer.
The result: At last count, roughly 13% of pregnant women in the United States took antidepressant medications at some point in their pregnancy -- often with little to guide them in weighing the risks the drugs may pose to their fetus against the misery and dangers of untreated depression.
In a bid to resolve that conundrum, two of the nation's leading physicians groups have issued the first guidelines for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
For the nearly one in four women who experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy, physicians on the front lines have long had little more than a prescription for antidepressants and a massive dose of uncertainty to offer.
The result: At last count, roughly 13% of pregnant women in the United States took antidepressant medications at some point in their pregnancy -- often with little to guide them in weighing the risks the drugs may pose to their fetus against the misery and dangers of untreated depression.
In a bid to resolve that conundrum, two of the nation's leading physicians groups have issued the first guidelines for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Antidepressants, not sleep drugs, often prescribed for insomnia * Story Highlights * Doctors prescribed more antidepressants for insomnia
Insomnia, the inability to fall or stay asleep, can make the days feel fuzzy and the nights never-ending.
The disorder can increase the risk for depression and suicidal thoughts, lower work productivity and even raise blood pressure, studies have shown.
About 40 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders that prevent them from getting good rest. Singer Michael Jackson struggled with insomnia, a nutritionist who worked for him told CNN. Sources close to Jackson told CNN that during a world tour in the mid-'90s, the pop star traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night, then "bring him back up."
Stress or traumatic events can trigger the sleeping disorder. Insomnia drugs help the patient sleep, but they do not treat the underlying cause, which could be a result of another illness, life changes or shifting work schedules. And patients who seek relief for insomnia may not receive the most effective prescription.
Over the last two decades, doctors treating sleep disorders have prescribed more antidepressants than insomnia drugs, according to several published analyses. And there is insufficient evidence that most antidepressants are effective in treating insomnia, concluded a National Institutes of Health panel that convened on the topic in 2005.
Doctors may be factoring in cost considerations and their own familiarity with prescribing antidepressants relative to newer sleep medications, experts said.
READ MORE @ CNN
The disorder can increase the risk for depression and suicidal thoughts, lower work productivity and even raise blood pressure, studies have shown.
About 40 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders that prevent them from getting good rest. Singer Michael Jackson struggled with insomnia, a nutritionist who worked for him told CNN. Sources close to Jackson told CNN that during a world tour in the mid-'90s, the pop star traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night, then "bring him back up."
Stress or traumatic events can trigger the sleeping disorder. Insomnia drugs help the patient sleep, but they do not treat the underlying cause, which could be a result of another illness, life changes or shifting work schedules. And patients who seek relief for insomnia may not receive the most effective prescription.
Over the last two decades, doctors treating sleep disorders have prescribed more antidepressants than insomnia drugs, according to several published analyses. And there is insufficient evidence that most antidepressants are effective in treating insomnia, concluded a National Institutes of Health panel that convened on the topic in 2005.
Doctors may be factoring in cost considerations and their own familiarity with prescribing antidepressants relative to newer sleep medications, experts said.
READ MORE @ CNN
Thursday, July 23, 2009
New Insights Into Causes Of Anorexia
New imaging technology provides insight into abnormalities in the brain circuitry of patients with anorexia nervosa (commonly known as anorexia) that may contribute to the puzzling symptoms found in people with the eating disorder. In a review paper published online in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Walter Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues describe dysfunction in certain neural circuits of the brain which may help explain why people develop anorexia in the first place, and behaviors such as the relentless pursuit of dieting and weight loss.
"Currently, we don't have very effective means of treating people with anorexia," said Kaye. "Consequently, many patients with the disorder remain ill for years or eventually die from the disease, which has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder."
A better understanding of the underlying neurobiology – how behavior is coded in the brain and contributes to anorexia —is likely to result in more effective treatments, according to the researchers.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
"Currently, we don't have very effective means of treating people with anorexia," said Kaye. "Consequently, many patients with the disorder remain ill for years or eventually die from the disease, which has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder."
A better understanding of the underlying neurobiology – how behavior is coded in the brain and contributes to anorexia —is likely to result in more effective treatments, according to the researchers.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Monday, May 18, 2009
Bipolar patients often relapse: study
Results of a study suggest that bipolar disorder has a high relapse rate. In the study, researchers found evidence that three fourths of the hospitalizations for treatment of bipolar disorder are repeat admissions.
The study findings were reported today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, typically causes wide swings in mood -- sometimes from extreme incapacitating depression to euphoric recklessness.
"It is well known that bipolar disorder is a recurrent disease, so we considered it important to assess hospitalization patterns as an indication of the course of illness," principal investigator Dr. Urban sby from Danderyd University Hospital, Sweden, told Reuters Health prior to his presentation.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
The study findings were reported today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, typically causes wide swings in mood -- sometimes from extreme incapacitating depression to euphoric recklessness.
"It is well known that bipolar disorder is a recurrent disease, so we considered it important to assess hospitalization patterns as an indication of the course of illness," principal investigator Dr. Urban sby from Danderyd University Hospital, Sweden, told Reuters Health prior to his presentation.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Women Stopping Antidepressant Medication For Premenstrual Syndrome Experience Relapse
A report in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry (one of the JAMA/Archives journals) indicates that many women take the antidepressant called sertraline to relieve severe premenstrual symptoms, and it seems that half of them go through relapse after six to eight months after stopping the medication. There is a higher probability of relapse for women with more severe symptoms and those who consumed the drug during a shorter period.
Background facts sustained in the report demonstrate that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most frequent health problems among women of reproductive age. Sertraline hydrochloride and other antidepressant medications are approved to treat PMS when it is most severe, also known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
The authors explain: "There is little information about the optimal duration of treatment, although anecdotal reports and small pilot investigations suggest that premenstrual symptoms return rapidly in the absence of effective medication."
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Background facts sustained in the report demonstrate that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most frequent health problems among women of reproductive age. Sertraline hydrochloride and other antidepressant medications are approved to treat PMS when it is most severe, also known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
The authors explain: "There is little information about the optimal duration of treatment, although anecdotal reports and small pilot investigations suggest that premenstrual symptoms return rapidly in the absence of effective medication."
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Researchers find common genetic variations in autistic people
Findings show that many autistic people have a deviation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. The discovery may lead to treatments.
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people with those of thousands of people without the disorder -- a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people examined have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication. Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people with those of thousands of people without the disorder -- a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people examined have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication. Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What Is Neuropathy? What Causes Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a collection of disorders that occurs when nerves of the peripheral nervous system (the part of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord) are damaged. The condition is generally referred to as peripheral neuropathy, and it is most commonly due to damage to nerve axons. Neuropathy usually causes pain and numbness in the hands and feet. It can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic disorders, and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes of neuropathy is diabetes.
Neuropathy can affect nerves that control muscle movement (motor nerves) and those that detect sensations such as coldness or pain (sensory nerves). In some cases - autonomic neuropathy - it can affect internal organs, such as the heart, blood vessels, bladder, or intestines.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Neuropathy can affect nerves that control muscle movement (motor nerves) and those that detect sensations such as coldness or pain (sensory nerves). In some cases - autonomic neuropathy - it can affect internal organs, such as the heart, blood vessels, bladder, or intestines.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A New Way Of Thinking For Schizophrenia Treatment
The effectiveness of psychiatric drugs varies considerably in individuals being treated for depression or schizophrenia. These drugs act on serotonin, a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) central to the regulation of moods. Scientists from Oxford and Belfast have discovered more about emotional processing and genetic variations that will help to inform treatment strategies.
The long-held view that serotonin levels are low in people with depression has been challenged by Philip Cowen, professor of psychopharmacology at Oxford University. "We asked what evidence is there that the action is abnormal and this stimulated new thinking about how anti-depressants work," he said at the British Neuroscience Association meeting in Liverpool today (21 April).
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
The long-held view that serotonin levels are low in people with depression has been challenged by Philip Cowen, professor of psychopharmacology at Oxford University. "We asked what evidence is there that the action is abnormal and this stimulated new thinking about how anti-depressants work," he said at the British Neuroscience Association meeting in Liverpool today (21 April).
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Schizophrenia - Novel Treatment May Provide Relief
A compound that naturally occurs in the brain and other areas of the body may be a promising new treatment for the most severe and disruptive symptoms of schizophrenia, according to researchers from Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center.
Researchers conducted a pilot study that suggests the neurosteroid pregnenolone targets symptoms of schizophrenia for which no treatment options are available. The findings are published online in journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
While antipsychotic medications can help reduce hallucinations and delusions associated with schizophrenia for some patients, the other two categories of symptoms often continue to significantly disable patients -- negative symptoms, such as apathy, lack of emotion and poor social functioning, and cognitive symptoms, which include memory impairment and difficulty concentrating and completing tasks.
READ MORE @ HEALTH NEWS DIGEST
Researchers conducted a pilot study that suggests the neurosteroid pregnenolone targets symptoms of schizophrenia for which no treatment options are available. The findings are published online in journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
While antipsychotic medications can help reduce hallucinations and delusions associated with schizophrenia for some patients, the other two categories of symptoms often continue to significantly disable patients -- negative symptoms, such as apathy, lack of emotion and poor social functioning, and cognitive symptoms, which include memory impairment and difficulty concentrating and completing tasks.
READ MORE @ HEALTH NEWS DIGEST
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder The Complexity of Diagnosis and Treatment
The central tenet of clinical comorbidity, the occurrence of 2 syndromes in the same patient, presupposes that they are distinct categorical entities. By this definition, 2 or more coexisting syndromes do not negate one another, nor paradoxically does this coexistence negate the potential for one to influence the course, outcome, and treatment response of the other. Isolating a syndrome by characterizing it through a unique pathogenic process allows for diagnostic fidelity even while acknowledging overlapping phenotypes.
Bipolar disorder (BPD) is highly prevalent and heterogeneous. Its increasing complexity is often caused by the presence of comorbid conditions, which have become the rule rather than the exception. Lifetime prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity has been reported in community and clinical studies. Most (95%) of the respondents with BPD in the National Comorbidity Survey met criteria for 3 or more lifetime psychiatric disorders.1 In a Stanley Foundation Bipolar Treatment Outcome Network study of almost 300 patients, 65% met DSM-IV criteria for at least 1 comorbid Axis I disorder.2
Analogous to models in medicine (eg, cardiovascular disease), BPD incorporates psychiatric and medical comorbidities (Table) whose simultaneous treatment is equally pressing to the core mood disturbance.3 Checks and balances must be used to address the distressing comorbid condition (eg, anxiety) whose treatment with an SSRI or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) may catalyze a round of mood cycling in an otherwise stable patient; a greater degree of protection via mood stabilizers may be warranted in such an individual to reduce this possibility.
Overall, the presence of comorbidities in BPD has negative prognostic implications for psychological health and for medical well-being and longevity.4-6 The most common comorbid conditions are reviewed below to help guide the clinician through this diagnostic maze and associated treatment considerations.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
Bipolar disorder (BPD) is highly prevalent and heterogeneous. Its increasing complexity is often caused by the presence of comorbid conditions, which have become the rule rather than the exception. Lifetime prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity has been reported in community and clinical studies. Most (95%) of the respondents with BPD in the National Comorbidity Survey met criteria for 3 or more lifetime psychiatric disorders.1 In a Stanley Foundation Bipolar Treatment Outcome Network study of almost 300 patients, 65% met DSM-IV criteria for at least 1 comorbid Axis I disorder.2
Analogous to models in medicine (eg, cardiovascular disease), BPD incorporates psychiatric and medical comorbidities (Table) whose simultaneous treatment is equally pressing to the core mood disturbance.3 Checks and balances must be used to address the distressing comorbid condition (eg, anxiety) whose treatment with an SSRI or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) may catalyze a round of mood cycling in an otherwise stable patient; a greater degree of protection via mood stabilizers may be warranted in such an individual to reduce this possibility.
Overall, the presence of comorbidities in BPD has negative prognostic implications for psychological health and for medical well-being and longevity.4-6 The most common comorbid conditions are reviewed below to help guide the clinician through this diagnostic maze and associated treatment considerations.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Older drug seen better for Parkinson's depression
People with Parkinson's disease who need treatment for depression seem to do better with an older antidepressant than a newer agent, according to a small clinical trial.
"Individuals with depression and Parkinson's disease do respond to antidepressants," Dr. Matthew Menza told Reuters Health. "This is important because depression in Parkinson's disease is often under-recognized, under-appreciated and under-treated. Commonly, the attitude is, 'of course you're depressed, you have a serious illness.' We have now demonstrated that one should be hopeful that treatment will help."
There have been few head-to-head trials of different antidepressants for Parkinson's patients with depression, Menza, of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey, and his group note in the medical journal Neurology.
To investigate, they compared the older "tricyclic" antidepressant nortriptyline with the newer "SSRI" agent paroxetine in 52 people with Parkinson's disease diagnosed with major depression. Nortriptyline is available in generic form and under the brand name Pamelor, and paroxetine CR is known by the brand names Paxil and Seroxat.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
"Individuals with depression and Parkinson's disease do respond to antidepressants," Dr. Matthew Menza told Reuters Health. "This is important because depression in Parkinson's disease is often under-recognized, under-appreciated and under-treated. Commonly, the attitude is, 'of course you're depressed, you have a serious illness.' We have now demonstrated that one should be hopeful that treatment will help."
There have been few head-to-head trials of different antidepressants for Parkinson's patients with depression, Menza, of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey, and his group note in the medical journal Neurology.
To investigate, they compared the older "tricyclic" antidepressant nortriptyline with the newer "SSRI" agent paroxetine in 52 people with Parkinson's disease diagnosed with major depression. Nortriptyline is available in generic form and under the brand name Pamelor, and paroxetine CR is known by the brand names Paxil and Seroxat.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Dementia strategy criticised by Alzheimer's trust
The first-ever national dementia strategy, intended to transform the care of the rising number of sufferers and their families, was launched by the government yesterday with funding of £150m and the promise of a string of memory clinics and advisors across the country.
But while the much-delayed strategy was welcomed by many in the field, it was criticised for failing to deliver on two crucial issues – research into the causes and potential treatments of dementia and the drugging of elderly people in care homes. A review of antipsychotic drugs – the so-called "chemical cosh" used in care homes to sedate people whose dementia makes them angry or distressed – has been postponed until the spring.
"This strategy is only the first step to tackling our dementia crisis, and it is a huge let-down that so much has been left out," said Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
"It is astonishing that dementia research is not a fundamental component of this strategy, and disappointing that the review of antipsychotic drugs has been delayed yet again," she added.
READ MORE @ GUARDIAN
But while the much-delayed strategy was welcomed by many in the field, it was criticised for failing to deliver on two crucial issues – research into the causes and potential treatments of dementia and the drugging of elderly people in care homes. A review of antipsychotic drugs – the so-called "chemical cosh" used in care homes to sedate people whose dementia makes them angry or distressed – has been postponed until the spring.
"This strategy is only the first step to tackling our dementia crisis, and it is a huge let-down that so much has been left out," said Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
"It is astonishing that dementia research is not a fundamental component of this strategy, and disappointing that the review of antipsychotic drugs has been delayed yet again," she added.
READ MORE @ GUARDIAN
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Most Second-Generation Antipsychotics Effective for Treatment of Negative Schizophrenia Symptoms: Presented at EPA
Amisulpride and ziprasidone show better overall effects in comparison with other second-generation antipsychotics in the of negative symptoms of schizophrenia, according to results of 2 meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.
Principal investigator Javier Rejas, MD, PhD, Medical Unit, Health Outcomes Research, Pfizer España, Madrid, Spain, presented these results on January 27 here at the 17th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA).
While research has demonstrated the efficacy of numerous first-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, for treatment of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms are difficult to treat and can result in severe impairment and poor quality of life, said Dr. Rejas.
His research team therefore conducted 2 meta-analyses to compare the efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics versus haloperidol and versus placebo in the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Principal investigator Javier Rejas, MD, PhD, Medical Unit, Health Outcomes Research, Pfizer España, Madrid, Spain, presented these results on January 27 here at the 17th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA).
While research has demonstrated the efficacy of numerous first-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, for treatment of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms are difficult to treat and can result in severe impairment and poor quality of life, said Dr. Rejas.
His research team therefore conducted 2 meta-analyses to compare the efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics versus haloperidol and versus placebo in the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New Study: Antidepressants Help Patients with Fibromyalgia
Drugs traditionally used to treat depression are also effective in easing widespread pain, sleep disturbances and dismal moods associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), according to a large-scale analysis published today in JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association. The study confirms earlier research about the meds' effect on symptoms associated with this mysterious disease.
Fibromyalgia, an often overlooked disorder believed to cause widespread muscle pain, sleep disturbances, depression and fatigue, affects up to 12 million people (4 percent of the U.S. population), nearly 11 million of them women. The degree of debilitation caused by the disease ranges "from very little to total," says Roland Staud, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, adding that he has known some patients who have been bedridden for as long as a year because of symptoms, which typically appear between ages 40 and 60 and may last for the remainder of sufferers' lives.
Researchers do not know the cause of FMS and there is currently no cure. But psychiatrist Leslie Arnold, director of the Women's Health Research Program at the University of Cinncinnati's College of Medicine, says that both genetics and stress appear to play a role. Only two drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat fibromyalgia—Cymbalta made by Eli Lilly (one of the antidepressants reviewed in this study) and Pfizer's Lyrica, an Rx to control seizures and pain.
READ MORE @ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Fibromyalgia, an often overlooked disorder believed to cause widespread muscle pain, sleep disturbances, depression and fatigue, affects up to 12 million people (4 percent of the U.S. population), nearly 11 million of them women. The degree of debilitation caused by the disease ranges "from very little to total," says Roland Staud, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, adding that he has known some patients who have been bedridden for as long as a year because of symptoms, which typically appear between ages 40 and 60 and may last for the remainder of sufferers' lives.
Researchers do not know the cause of FMS and there is currently no cure. But psychiatrist Leslie Arnold, director of the Women's Health Research Program at the University of Cinncinnati's College of Medicine, says that both genetics and stress appear to play a role. Only two drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat fibromyalgia—Cymbalta made by Eli Lilly (one of the antidepressants reviewed in this study) and Pfizer's Lyrica, an Rx to control seizures and pain.
READ MORE @ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Friday, December 26, 2008
Study will try to improve how mentally ill are cared for in ERs Hospitals have seen increase in mentally ill patients.
Mental health experts in Austin are hoping a research project will help them revamp the way psychiatric patients are treated in emergency rooms.
Advocacy Inc., an Austin-based organization focused on disability rights, is examining what happens to mentally ill patients brought to Austin hospitals because of a psychiatric crisis. The organization will look at things such as how they are medically cared for, how staffers treat them personally and how the environment of often-chaotic emergency rooms affects their mental illnesses.
READ MORE @ AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Advocacy Inc., an Austin-based organization focused on disability rights, is examining what happens to mentally ill patients brought to Austin hospitals because of a psychiatric crisis. The organization will look at things such as how they are medically cared for, how staffers treat them personally and how the environment of often-chaotic emergency rooms affects their mental illnesses.
READ MORE @ AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Few Young Adults Seek Treatment for Psych Disorders Alcohol, nicotine use, personality illnesses common, study shows
Psychiatric disorders are common among young adults in the United States, but few seek treatment, a new report shows.
To reach this finding, U.S. researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 respondents, aged 19 to 25, who took part in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.
The study found that 45.8 percent of the 2,188 college students and 47.7 percent of the young adults not in college met the criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, but only 25 percent of those with disorders sought treatment over a one-year period.
Among college students, the most common disorders were alcohol use (20.4 percent) and personality disorders (17.7 percent). The most common disorders among young adults not in college were personality disorders (21.6 percent) and nicotine dependence (20.7 percent).
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
To reach this finding, U.S. researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 respondents, aged 19 to 25, who took part in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.
The study found that 45.8 percent of the 2,188 college students and 47.7 percent of the young adults not in college met the criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, but only 25 percent of those with disorders sought treatment over a one-year period.
Among college students, the most common disorders were alcohol use (20.4 percent) and personality disorders (17.7 percent). The most common disorders among young adults not in college were personality disorders (21.6 percent) and nicotine dependence (20.7 percent).
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Saturday, November 15, 2008
SEROQUEL XR™ And SEROQUEL(R) Approved In Europe For New Indications For The Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
AstraZeneca today announced that the once-daily formulation SEROQUEL XR™ (quetiapine fumarate extended release tablets) and SEROQUEL® (quetiapine fumarate) have been approved via the Mutual Recognition Procedure for new indications in bipolar disorder. SEROQUEL XR and SEROQUEL have been approved for treatment of major depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. Additionally, SEROQUEL XR has been approved for treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes in bipolar disorder.
This follows the October 2008 approval of SEROQUEL XR in similar indications by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result of these new indications for adult patients, SEROQUEL (both formulations) is currently the only atypical antipsychotic approved to treat the spectrum of mood episodes associated with bipolar disorder and the only licensed treatment for bipolar depression in the EU. The mechanism of action of SEROQUEL, which involves both antipsychotic and antidepressant activities, may help explain its unique efficacy across the spectrum of mood episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
This follows the October 2008 approval of SEROQUEL XR in similar indications by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result of these new indications for adult patients, SEROQUEL (both formulations) is currently the only atypical antipsychotic approved to treat the spectrum of mood episodes associated with bipolar disorder and the only licensed treatment for bipolar depression in the EU. The mechanism of action of SEROQUEL, which involves both antipsychotic and antidepressant activities, may help explain its unique efficacy across the spectrum of mood episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
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