Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is an epidemic of global concern. According to the most recent estimates, released in November 2007, by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 33.2 million worldwide are living with HIV infection currently. Although the rates of infection appear to be decreasing, there are obviously immense implications for achieving improvements in HIV/AIDS treatment.
The functioning of natural killer (NK) cells, which are a major element of the innate immunity system and are involved in the body’s first line of defense against infections such as HIV, is decreased in both HIV and depression. A group of researchers who have previously found that stress and depression impair NK cell function and accelerate the course of HIV/AIDS are now publishing a new report in the May 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry.
In this study, they recruited both depressed and non-depressed HIV-infected women and studied the ex vivo effects of three drugs, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a substance P antagonist, and a glucocorticoid antagonist, on their NK cell activity. These drugs were selected because, as the authors state, each “affect[s] underlying regulatory systems that have been extensively investigated in both stress and depression research as well as immune and viral research.” The scientists found that the SSRI citalopram, and the substance P antagonist CP 96,345, but not the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, increased NK cell activity. According to Dr. Dwight Evans, corresponding author of the article: “The present findings provide evidence that natural killer cell function in HIV infection may be enhanced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibition and also by substance P antagonism in both depressed and non-depressed individuals.”
READ MORE @ EUREKALERT
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
APA: Antipsychotic Side Effects More Common in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Patients with bipolar disorder were roughly twice as likely to suffer movement-related side effects from antipsychotic drugs as those with schizophrenia, a researcher said here.
That was the result of a meta-analysis looking at the frequency of extrapyramidal symptoms with haloperidol (Haldol) and five atypical antipsychotics reported by Keming Gao, M.D., of Case Western University in Cleveland, at the American Psychiatric Association meeting and in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Only olanzapine (Zyprexa) was no different from placebo in causing extrapyramidal symptoms in either bipolar or schizophrenic patients, Dr. Gao said.
The researchers pooled data from 24 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, monotherapy trials of various antipsychotic agents in bipolar disorder, mania, and schizophrenia.
They calculated risks as the number of patients needed to treat to cause harm (NNTH) to one patient. Thus, an NNTH value of 10 indicates that for every 10 patients treated, one would develop extrapyramidal symptoms.
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
That was the result of a meta-analysis looking at the frequency of extrapyramidal symptoms with haloperidol (Haldol) and five atypical antipsychotics reported by Keming Gao, M.D., of Case Western University in Cleveland, at the American Psychiatric Association meeting and in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Only olanzapine (Zyprexa) was no different from placebo in causing extrapyramidal symptoms in either bipolar or schizophrenic patients, Dr. Gao said.
The researchers pooled data from 24 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, monotherapy trials of various antipsychotic agents in bipolar disorder, mania, and schizophrenia.
They calculated risks as the number of patients needed to treat to cause harm (NNTH) to one patient. Thus, an NNTH value of 10 indicates that for every 10 patients treated, one would develop extrapyramidal symptoms.
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Depression Diversity: Brain Studies Reveal Big Differences Among Individuals
Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the brain's "feel good" stress-response chemicals than non-depressed people, new University of Michigan Depression Center research shows. Scans show untreated depressed people have fewer serotonin and opioid receptors, and that variation is linked to symptoms and treatment response.
And even among depressed people, the numbers of these receptors can vary greatly. What's more, the number of receptors a depressed person has appears to be linked with the severity of their symptoms - and the chances that they'll feel better after taking a medication.
These preliminary findings, presented Tuesday at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., amplify a growing understanding of depression as a condition that affects different people in different ways, and is solidly rooted in genetic and molecular factors that are unique to each individual.
The lead U-M researcher, Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D., says these new results bolster what other researchers have been finding in recent years.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
And even among depressed people, the numbers of these receptors can vary greatly. What's more, the number of receptors a depressed person has appears to be linked with the severity of their symptoms - and the chances that they'll feel better after taking a medication.
These preliminary findings, presented Tuesday at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., amplify a growing understanding of depression as a condition that affects different people in different ways, and is solidly rooted in genetic and molecular factors that are unique to each individual.
The lead U-M researcher, Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D., says these new results bolster what other researchers have been finding in recent years.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Monday, May 12, 2008
Antidepressants do work in depression while evidence for CBT is poorer say experts
A new revision of clinical guidelines to help doctors manage patients with depression has challenged the rationale behind the UK government’s policy of rolling out of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for milder depression.
According to a comprehensive review of treatments for depression, there is a lack of evidence for CBT being more helpful than other forms of psychological support in mild depression or for its efficacy in severe depression. There is also good evidence for antidepressants being effective in depression, with benefit increasing the more severe the depression. This is contrary to recent reports that antidepressants don’t work except in the most severe depression.
Dr Ian Anderson, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, UK, says the cost effectiveness of CBT should be thoroughly investigated before it is adopted more widely because it is likely to be offered to people with milder depression where the evidence is poorest.
“There is often not a level playing field in considering evidence for drugs versus psychological treatment, especially in milder depression,” Dr Anderson explains, adding that specific psychological treatments are relatively expensive compared to drug treatments because treatment involves training of the therapists as well as the costs of administering the intervention.
READ MORE @ EUREKALERT
According to a comprehensive review of treatments for depression, there is a lack of evidence for CBT being more helpful than other forms of psychological support in mild depression or for its efficacy in severe depression. There is also good evidence for antidepressants being effective in depression, with benefit increasing the more severe the depression. This is contrary to recent reports that antidepressants don’t work except in the most severe depression.
Dr Ian Anderson, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, UK, says the cost effectiveness of CBT should be thoroughly investigated before it is adopted more widely because it is likely to be offered to people with milder depression where the evidence is poorest.
“There is often not a level playing field in considering evidence for drugs versus psychological treatment, especially in milder depression,” Dr Anderson explains, adding that specific psychological treatments are relatively expensive compared to drug treatments because treatment involves training of the therapists as well as the costs of administering the intervention.
READ MORE @ EUREKALERT
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Several Therapies Show Promise for Vascular Depression
New treatments for a type of depression in the elderly related to blood vessels -- called vascular depression -- are under development, and researchers have discovered why some patients with this condition fail to respond to current medications.
Details of the findings were to be presented Wednesday during a news conference by researchers taking part in U.S. National Institute of Mental Health symposiums at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, in Washington, D.C.
Vascular depression is a recently recognized type of depression that usually develops in patients older than age 60. The condition is associated with loss of blood supply to the brain.
"Mental health practitioners and patients should be aware of the relationship between vascular problems and depression, and should understand the value of preventing vascular changes that might lead to difficult-to-treat depressions, for example, through early recognition and treatment of high blood pressure," Dr. John Newcomer, of Washington University in St. Louis, said in a prepared statement.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Details of the findings were to be presented Wednesday during a news conference by researchers taking part in U.S. National Institute of Mental Health symposiums at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, in Washington, D.C.
Vascular depression is a recently recognized type of depression that usually develops in patients older than age 60. The condition is associated with loss of blood supply to the brain.
"Mental health practitioners and patients should be aware of the relationship between vascular problems and depression, and should understand the value of preventing vascular changes that might lead to difficult-to-treat depressions, for example, through early recognition and treatment of high blood pressure," Dr. John Newcomer, of Washington University in St. Louis, said in a prepared statement.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Imaging Identifies Brain Regions and Chemicals Underlying Mood Disorders; May Lead to Better Treatments
Recently developed imaging techniques allow the mapping of the brain circuits and chemical systems believed responsible for a range of mood abnormalities including depression and bipolar disorder, and hold promise for improved treatments, scientists say.
They spoke today at a press conference involving presenters from symposia sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ), a part of the National Institutes of Health, during the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting here.
"These studies contribute new information about how the brain malfunctions in depression and bipolar disorder, what goes wrong with brain chemicals, and where in the brain the problems arise," says Ellen Leibenluft, MD, of NIMH. "We find that the brain systems involved and the exact nature of the difficulties, differs among patients, even when those patients have similar symptoms. Eventually, data like these will allow us to develop more individualized and targeted treatments for these illnesses."
Charting Brain Systems for Major Depression
Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is an illness with high prevalence in the population, yet its underlying biological mechanisms are complex, with genetic and environmental factors influencing each other and leading to varying levels of vulnerability and resiliency.
New studies of two brain chemical systems thought to be involved in the modulation and response to stressful events finds that both are altered in untreated patients with MDD. "Dysregulation of these systems is present in patients diagnosed with MDD and we are studying their relationship with specific characteristics of the illness, such as severity and treatment response," says Jon-Kar Zubieta, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan.
READ MORE @ PRESSZOOM
They spoke today at a press conference involving presenters from symposia sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ), a part of the National Institutes of Health, during the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting here.
"These studies contribute new information about how the brain malfunctions in depression and bipolar disorder, what goes wrong with brain chemicals, and where in the brain the problems arise," says Ellen Leibenluft, MD, of NIMH. "We find that the brain systems involved and the exact nature of the difficulties, differs among patients, even when those patients have similar symptoms. Eventually, data like these will allow us to develop more individualized and targeted treatments for these illnesses."
Charting Brain Systems for Major Depression
Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is an illness with high prevalence in the population, yet its underlying biological mechanisms are complex, with genetic and environmental factors influencing each other and leading to varying levels of vulnerability and resiliency.
New studies of two brain chemical systems thought to be involved in the modulation and response to stressful events finds that both are altered in untreated patients with MDD. "Dysregulation of these systems is present in patients diagnosed with MDD and we are studying their relationship with specific characteristics of the illness, such as severity and treatment response," says Jon-Kar Zubieta, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan.
READ MORE @ PRESSZOOM
Friday, May 9, 2008
Clues to Role of Brain Development as Risk for Mental Disorders May Also Lead to Better Treatments
Increasing evidence points to links between the timing and growth rates of specific brain areas in the young brain and the likelihood of developing a wide range of mental disorders later in life, say researchers convened by the National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Included among these mental disorders are autism, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ).
"Most psychiatric disorders, including those with adult onset such as schizophrenia, are increasingly recognized as being neurodevelopmental in origin," says NIMH's Jay Giedd, MD. "A greater understanding of the specifics of brain development, and where the path of development goes awry in illnesses, may be a key factor in devising better therapies."
The scientists spoke today at a press conference during the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting being held here.
A twenty-year ongoing longitudinal neuroimaging project of healthy children and adolescents being conducted at NIMH's child psychiatry branch shows the relationship between dynamic brain changes and the emergence of several classes of psychiatric disorders during adolescence.
The data set, which tracks participants aged three to 30 years every two years, consists of more than 6,000 magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) scans from 2,000 subjects. About half are from typically developing subjects and half have disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and childhood-onset schizophrenia. "The large number of typically developing subjects serves not only to provide a yardstick from which to assess developmental deviations but also because understanding the timing, mechanisms, and influences of healthy brain development may illuminate paths to intervention in illness," says Giedd, who oversees the study.
READ MORE @ MEDIA-NEWSWIRE
"Most psychiatric disorders, including those with adult onset such as schizophrenia, are increasingly recognized as being neurodevelopmental in origin," says NIMH's Jay Giedd, MD. "A greater understanding of the specifics of brain development, and where the path of development goes awry in illnesses, may be a key factor in devising better therapies."
The scientists spoke today at a press conference during the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting being held here.
A twenty-year ongoing longitudinal neuroimaging project of healthy children and adolescents being conducted at NIMH's child psychiatry branch shows the relationship between dynamic brain changes and the emergence of several classes of psychiatric disorders during adolescence.
The data set, which tracks participants aged three to 30 years every two years, consists of more than 6,000 magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) scans from 2,000 subjects. About half are from typically developing subjects and half have disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and childhood-onset schizophrenia. "The large number of typically developing subjects serves not only to provide a yardstick from which to assess developmental deviations but also because understanding the timing, mechanisms, and influences of healthy brain development may illuminate paths to intervention in illness," says Giedd, who oversees the study.
READ MORE @ MEDIA-NEWSWIRE
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Unraveling the Link Between Genes and Environment
New studies in the field of epigenetics -- which looks at how environmental factors can change gene function without altering DNA sequence -- are identifying new molecular targets that may lead to improved drug treatment of depression, scientists report.
Epigenetics plays a major role in depression and the actions of antidepressants.
"The mechanisms that precipitate depression, such as stress, are incompletely understood," Dr. Eric Nestler, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, said in a prepared statement. "One mystery of the disease is its long-lasting nature and delayed response to antidepressant treatment. This persistence is thought to be influenced by slowly developing but stable adaptations, which might include epigenetic regulation."
Nestler held a symposium Monday on epigenetics at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. A number of scientists outlined their research on epigenetics and depression. The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Epigenetics plays a major role in depression and the actions of antidepressants.
"The mechanisms that precipitate depression, such as stress, are incompletely understood," Dr. Eric Nestler, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, said in a prepared statement. "One mystery of the disease is its long-lasting nature and delayed response to antidepressant treatment. This persistence is thought to be influenced by slowly developing but stable adaptations, which might include epigenetic regulation."
Nestler held a symposium Monday on epigenetics at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. A number of scientists outlined their research on epigenetics and depression. The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Antipsychotic Prescribing For Children Has Risen Sharply
A research team set out to investigate the epidemiologic features of antibiotic prescribing to patients under the age of 18 by GPs (general practitioners, primary care doctors) in Great Britain. They gathered data from the UK General Practice Research Database, involving 384 participating general practices, to identify how many child/adolescent patients were prescribed at least one antipsychotic drug between the beginning of 1992 to the end of 2005. They calculated age-specific prevalences and incidences of antipsychotic prescribing.
You can read about this in the journal Pediatrics.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
You can read about this in the journal Pediatrics.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Monday, May 5, 2008
Common Medications Could Cause Physical Impairment in the Elderly
Two new studies show that anticholinergics, a commonly prescribed group of drugs, may cause elderly people to "slow down" in their daily physical activities.
The two reports from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine support findings released a few weeks ago that anticholinergic drugs -- which treat a variety of diseases and conditions, including acid reflux, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence -- may cause older people to lose their thinking skills more quickly than those who don't take the medicines.
Anticholinergic drugs work by stopping acetylcholine, a chemical that enhances communication between nerve cells in the brain, from binding to its receptors in nerve cells.
In the first Wake Forest study, older adults taking anticholinergics became more likely to walk more slowly and to need help in other daily activities.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
The two reports from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine support findings released a few weeks ago that anticholinergic drugs -- which treat a variety of diseases and conditions, including acid reflux, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence -- may cause older people to lose their thinking skills more quickly than those who don't take the medicines.
Anticholinergic drugs work by stopping acetylcholine, a chemical that enhances communication between nerve cells in the brain, from binding to its receptors in nerve cells.
In the first Wake Forest study, older adults taking anticholinergics became more likely to walk more slowly and to need help in other daily activities.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Nursing homes undertreat dementia patients' pain
Nursing home residents with dementia appear to be less likely to receive pain medication than other residents, even though they have just as many painful health conditions, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill evaluated data for 551 residents of six nursing homes across the state and found that residents who were cognitively impaired were less likely to receive regular doses of pain medication or to receive pain drugs at all.
This was despite the fact that dementia patients and cognitively healthy patients had similar rates of often-painful conditions like cancer, osteoarthritis and degeneration in the spinal disks.
Pain medications are often prescribed to be taken "as needed," the researchers note. The findings suggest that more nursing home residents with dementia should be on regularly scheduled doses of pain medication, they report in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill evaluated data for 551 residents of six nursing homes across the state and found that residents who were cognitively impaired were less likely to receive regular doses of pain medication or to receive pain drugs at all.
This was despite the fact that dementia patients and cognitively healthy patients had similar rates of often-painful conditions like cancer, osteoarthritis and degeneration in the spinal disks.
Pain medications are often prescribed to be taken "as needed," the researchers note. The findings suggest that more nursing home residents with dementia should be on regularly scheduled doses of pain medication, they report in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Do antidepressants help patients with back pain?
That depends on which study you read and what kind of back pain you have.
more stories like this
In a review of 10 studies on back pain and antidepressants published recently by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that reviews medical studies, Australian researchers found no clear evidence that antidepressants are more effective than sugar pills in helping patients with low-back pain. The finding is somewhat perplexing because, as the Australian researchers themselves noted, there is evidence that antidepressants can help with other types of chronic pain.
The researchers' findings also conflict with recent guidelines issued by the American Pain Society, which does recommend antidepressants for back pain, said Dr. Roger Chou, director of the guideline program. But he cautioned in an e-mail that antidepressants are not recommended as the "first line" treatment for low back pain partly because they can have side effects and partly because the benefit of antidepressants for back pain is "small to moderate."
READ MORE @ BOSTON GLOBE
more stories like this
In a review of 10 studies on back pain and antidepressants published recently by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that reviews medical studies, Australian researchers found no clear evidence that antidepressants are more effective than sugar pills in helping patients with low-back pain. The finding is somewhat perplexing because, as the Australian researchers themselves noted, there is evidence that antidepressants can help with other types of chronic pain.
The researchers' findings also conflict with recent guidelines issued by the American Pain Society, which does recommend antidepressants for back pain, said Dr. Roger Chou, director of the guideline program. But he cautioned in an e-mail that antidepressants are not recommended as the "first line" treatment for low back pain partly because they can have side effects and partly because the benefit of antidepressants for back pain is "small to moderate."
READ MORE @ BOSTON GLOBE
Friday, May 2, 2008
Antidepressant Found To Alleviate Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome In Adolescents
Researchers at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA have found that low-dose antidepressant therapy can significantly improve the overall quality of life for adolescents suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. The syndrome affects 6 percent of middle school students and 14 percent of high school kids in the United States.
he study, published in the May issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Pediatrics, is the first of its kind to look at the effects of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, in the pediatric IBS population, researchers said.
The research was conducted between 2002 and 2005 and involved 33 newly diagnosed IBS patients, including 24 girls, between the ages of 12 and 18.
Irritable bowel syndrome causes discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. Currently, there is no cure, and treatments only lessen the symptoms.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
he study, published in the May issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Pediatrics, is the first of its kind to look at the effects of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, in the pediatric IBS population, researchers said.
The research was conducted between 2002 and 2005 and involved 33 newly diagnosed IBS patients, including 24 girls, between the ages of 12 and 18.
Irritable bowel syndrome causes discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. Currently, there is no cure, and treatments only lessen the symptoms.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Prozac may slow MS - Dutch study
The popular antidepressant Prozac may help slow multiple sclerosis, according to a Dutch study showing that people who took the drug had fewer of the brain lesions that are a hallmark of the incurable disease.
The findings were from a small study but justified further examination in those afflicted with MS, the researchers reported in one of the British Medical Journal's specialist journals on Thursday.
"This proof-of-concept study shows that (the drug) tends to reduce the formation of new enhancing lesions in patients with MS," Jop Mostert, a neurologist at the University Medical Center Groeningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues wrote.
There is no cure for MS, which affects more than 1 million people worldwide. It is twice as common in women than men with symptoms often first appearing between the ages of 20 and 40.
The disease can be a mild illness in some people while causing permanent disability in others. Symptoms may include numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, partial or complete loss of vision, tingling or pain, electric-shock sensations with certain head movements, tremors and an unsteady gait.
READ MORE @ THE GUARDIAN
The findings were from a small study but justified further examination in those afflicted with MS, the researchers reported in one of the British Medical Journal's specialist journals on Thursday.
"This proof-of-concept study shows that (the drug) tends to reduce the formation of new enhancing lesions in patients with MS," Jop Mostert, a neurologist at the University Medical Center Groeningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues wrote.
There is no cure for MS, which affects more than 1 million people worldwide. It is twice as common in women than men with symptoms often first appearing between the ages of 20 and 40.
The disease can be a mild illness in some people while causing permanent disability in others. Symptoms may include numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, partial or complete loss of vision, tingling or pain, electric-shock sensations with certain head movements, tremors and an unsteady gait.
READ MORE @ THE GUARDIAN
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Antipsychotic Drugs Linked to Pneumonia in Elderly
Nursing home patients who take antipsychotic drugs are 60 percent more likely to develop pneumonia in the short term than those who don't take the drugs, a new study shows.
The risk is greatest during the first week after patients start taking the medications and gradually decreases, say Dutch researchers.
"The risk of developing pneumonia is not associated with long-term use, but is the highest shortly after starting the drug," said study authors Dr. Rob van Marum and Dr. Wilma Knol. They warned that "all antipsychotic drugs may be associated with pneumonia in elderly patients."
This is the first study to show an association between pneumonia risk and the use of antipsychotic drugs, which are frequently used to treat psychosis and behavioral problems in elderly patients with dementia and delirium.
The study was published in the current issue of theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
The risk is greatest during the first week after patients start taking the medications and gradually decreases, say Dutch researchers.
"The risk of developing pneumonia is not associated with long-term use, but is the highest shortly after starting the drug," said study authors Dr. Rob van Marum and Dr. Wilma Knol. They warned that "all antipsychotic drugs may be associated with pneumonia in elderly patients."
This is the first study to show an association between pneumonia risk and the use of antipsychotic drugs, which are frequently used to treat psychosis and behavioral problems in elderly patients with dementia and delirium.
The study was published in the current issue of theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Stop drugging dementia patients, urges report
Ministers should step in to stop inappropriate prescriptions of powerful antipsychotic drugs for Alzheimer's patients, an influential group of MPs has said.
Up to 105,000 people with dementia in Britain are wrongly being treated with the drugs, which are used to control behavioural symptoms such as aggression, they claim. Research has shown that the medications have side effects that can accelerate mental decline, triple the risk of stroke, and double the chances of premature death.
They are intended for psychotic patients suffering from delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. Yet the drugs continue to be used as a first resort to address the challenging behaviour of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, according to the MPs.
A report from the all-party parliamentary group on dementia demanded Government action on the problem and urged the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the health watchdog, to carry out a review.
READ MORE @ DAILY TELEGRAPH
Up to 105,000 people with dementia in Britain are wrongly being treated with the drugs, which are used to control behavioural symptoms such as aggression, they claim. Research has shown that the medications have side effects that can accelerate mental decline, triple the risk of stroke, and double the chances of premature death.
They are intended for psychotic patients suffering from delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. Yet the drugs continue to be used as a first resort to address the challenging behaviour of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, according to the MPs.
A report from the all-party parliamentary group on dementia demanded Government action on the problem and urged the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the health watchdog, to carry out a review.
READ MORE @ DAILY TELEGRAPH
Monday, April 28, 2008
Stimulating Immune Function With Lithium and Antidepressants
Stimulating immune function would transform the prevention, treatment, research and economics of infectious disorders, among them the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hospital-acquired infections, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, resistant tuberculosis, a possible avian influenza pandemic and acts of bioterrorism. Immune stimulation is widely held to be beyond our reach, an unfortunate misconception, for as early as nineteen eighty-one published evidence showed that lithium (1) and antidepressants (2) have immune stimulating and antimicrobial properties (3).
In the early 1950’s physicians observed that patients treated for tuberculosis with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors isoniazid and iproniazid became animated and energized, the observation the first that drugs are capable of acting as antidepressants. That monoamine oxidase inhibitors have dual antimicrobial and antidepressant properties curiously failed to impact the pharmacology of infectious disorders. Remission of such manifestations of viral infections as sinusitis, bronchitis, frequent colds, sore throats, cold sores and genital herpes in patients taking lithium carbonate has been reported. In various studies chronic lithium therapy reduced the rate of recurrent labial herpes infections, while lithium and antidepressants reduced the rates of common, “flu-like” colds, and lithium reduced the frequency and duration of recurrences of genital herpes.
READ MORE @ MEDHEADLINES
In the early 1950’s physicians observed that patients treated for tuberculosis with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors isoniazid and iproniazid became animated and energized, the observation the first that drugs are capable of acting as antidepressants. That monoamine oxidase inhibitors have dual antimicrobial and antidepressant properties curiously failed to impact the pharmacology of infectious disorders. Remission of such manifestations of viral infections as sinusitis, bronchitis, frequent colds, sore throats, cold sores and genital herpes in patients taking lithium carbonate has been reported. In various studies chronic lithium therapy reduced the rate of recurrent labial herpes infections, while lithium and antidepressants reduced the rates of common, “flu-like” colds, and lithium reduced the frequency and duration of recurrences of genital herpes.
READ MORE @ MEDHEADLINES
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Antipsychotic drugs up pneumonia risk in elderly
Older patients given antipsychotic drugs are at increased risk of pneumonia, particularly during the first week after starting treatment, Dutch researchers report. Thirty days after treatment begins, however, the risk is no longer apparent.
Elderly people are often prescribed antipsychotic drugs, Dr. Rob J. van Marum, at University Medical Center in Utrecht, and colleagues point out in a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Usually treatment is related to controlling the effects of dementia, but not always.
In fact, studies have shown that up to 40 percent of nursing home residents are treated with the drugs, and in half of those cases the treatment is "inappropriate."
To look at the risk of pneumonia with antipsychotic drugs, the researchers studied information from community pharmacies and the hospital records of 22,944 patients aged 65 or older who received a prescription for an antipsychotic at some point between 1985 and 2003.
After taking into account factors such as age, other medications, and other illnesses, the investigators found that the likelihood of being hospitalized for pneumonia was 60 percent higher for subjects who were currently on an antipsychotic medication than for those who were weren't.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Elderly people are often prescribed antipsychotic drugs, Dr. Rob J. van Marum, at University Medical Center in Utrecht, and colleagues point out in a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Usually treatment is related to controlling the effects of dementia, but not always.
In fact, studies have shown that up to 40 percent of nursing home residents are treated with the drugs, and in half of those cases the treatment is "inappropriate."
To look at the risk of pneumonia with antipsychotic drugs, the researchers studied information from community pharmacies and the hospital records of 22,944 patients aged 65 or older who received a prescription for an antipsychotic at some point between 1985 and 2003.
After taking into account factors such as age, other medications, and other illnesses, the investigators found that the likelihood of being hospitalized for pneumonia was 60 percent higher for subjects who were currently on an antipsychotic medication than for those who were weren't.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Saturday, April 26, 2008
More children are suffering from mental health problems, says report
Rising numbers of children are suffering mental health problems caused by family breakdown and peer pressure, a report suggests.
It says that more than a quarter of under-16s regularly feel depressed because of the stresses of family life, friendships and school. The report by the Good Childhood Inquiry, which heard evidence from mental health experts, says that 13 per cent of girls between 13 and 15 years old and 10 per cent of boys in the same age group suffer from mental health problems, yet there is little treatment on offer.
The report is part of a two-year inquiry into the state of modern childhood commissioned by the Children’s Society. It comes after Unicef concluded that Britain was one of the worst places in the industrialised world to be a child.
Thousands of children took part in the study. Twenty-seven per cent of those aged 14 to 16 said that they often felt depressed, and 22 worried about the state of their physical health. Anxiety about appearance was mentioned by seven out of ten under16s, who said that they dieted some or all of the time. Family breakdown was a common problem.
READ MORE @ TIMESONLINE
It says that more than a quarter of under-16s regularly feel depressed because of the stresses of family life, friendships and school. The report by the Good Childhood Inquiry, which heard evidence from mental health experts, says that 13 per cent of girls between 13 and 15 years old and 10 per cent of boys in the same age group suffer from mental health problems, yet there is little treatment on offer.
The report is part of a two-year inquiry into the state of modern childhood commissioned by the Children’s Society. It comes after Unicef concluded that Britain was one of the worst places in the industrialised world to be a child.
Thousands of children took part in the study. Twenty-seven per cent of those aged 14 to 16 said that they often felt depressed, and 22 worried about the state of their physical health. Anxiety about appearance was mentioned by seven out of ten under16s, who said that they dieted some or all of the time. Family breakdown was a common problem.
READ MORE @ TIMESONLINE
Friday, April 25, 2008
Mood lifting - Growing evidence suggests that exercise is as good for your mental health as it is for your physical well-being
Monday mornings, Theo Baars's exhausting depression often tries to seduce him into just staying in bed. But then, he says, a staffer at Appleton House, a residence for people with psychotic disorders at McLean Hospital, comes into his room and says, insistently, "You want to go work out."
So Baars, a 22-year-old surfer and musician, drags himself to McLean's new gym and sweats through a half hour of presses and curls. And then, he finds, he doesn't want to go back to bed. And more: His confidence is pumped up. His thinking tends to be less delusional, more reality-based.
"Working out helps me get my self back," he said.
Baars's personal experience reflects longstanding wisdom that is now gaining the added heft that comes from carefully conducted research. Exercise, the studies increasingly suggest, may be as good for your brain as it is for your body, whether you are mentally ill or not.
As Cambridge psychiatrist and author Dr. John Ratey puts it, if exercise could be bottled, it would be the greatest blockbuster drug ever. "Exercise is medicine for the brain," he said.
READ MORE @ BOSTON GLOBE
So Baars, a 22-year-old surfer and musician, drags himself to McLean's new gym and sweats through a half hour of presses and curls. And then, he finds, he doesn't want to go back to bed. And more: His confidence is pumped up. His thinking tends to be less delusional, more reality-based.
"Working out helps me get my self back," he said.
Baars's personal experience reflects longstanding wisdom that is now gaining the added heft that comes from carefully conducted research. Exercise, the studies increasingly suggest, may be as good for your brain as it is for your body, whether you are mentally ill or not.
As Cambridge psychiatrist and author Dr. John Ratey puts it, if exercise could be bottled, it would be the greatest blockbuster drug ever. "Exercise is medicine for the brain," he said.
READ MORE @ BOSTON GLOBE
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