ABSTRACT ~ Objectives: To sequentially study the effectiveness of lithium and divalproex monotherapy and adjunctive therapy with quetiapine or lamotrigine in the acute and continuation treatment of bipolar I or II disorder at any phase of illness and at least mild symptom severity. Methods: From June 2011 to December 2016, [...]
ABSTRACT ~ Purpose of Review: This is a comprehensive review of the association between cannabis use and psychological disorders. It reviews the latest and seminal evidence that is available and attempts to conclude the strength of such association. Recent Findings: Cannabis is a flowering plant with psychoactive properties, attributed to [...]
In a recent study, researchers described treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction (TESD) and tolerability following a switch from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI: citalopram, paroxetine, or sertraline) monotherapy to vortioxetine or escitalopram monotherapy in adults with well-treated major depressive disorder (MDD) and SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. The study was published in CNS Spectrums. [...]
Although currently available antidepressants increase monoamine levels soon after the start of treatment, therapeutic benefits are often delayed by several weeks and the majority of patients with major depressive disorder fail to achieve an adequate response to first- or second-line therapies targeting monoamines. The recent approval of the NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) [...]
A novel, noninvasive, over-the-counter electromagnetic neuromodulation device (ActiPatch, BioElectronics Corp.) appears to deliver long-lasting relief in chronic pain patients. Results of a long-term prospective study that included 240 patients who had previously experienced chronic pain relief with the device showed that at 6 months, 97% of the 240 participants sustained [...]
Daily intranasal insulin may be effective in slowing progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD), new research suggests. The findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019. Investigators found intranasal insulin administered via a novel delivery device slowed the rate of cognitive decline by [...]
According to evidence-based reviews, the answer is a qualified “Maybe.” Chronic methamphetamine use can induce pathological brain changes in the brain. Users can develop thought, mood, and behavioral disorders, including psychosis. Such effects may persist even after extended abstinence. Because cognitive deficits can affect how well patients respond to treatment, interventions [...]
Patients with prostate, bladder or kidney cancers are at greater risk of dying if they have had psychiatric care prior to the cancer treatment. In addition, patients with these cancers show greater suicide risk than the general population, even once the data is corrected for previous psychiatric care. These are [...]
Biogen and Eisai have announced that they are discontinuing the ENGAGE and EMERGE trials, which were designed to test the efficacy and safety of aducanumab in patients with mild cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trials were [...]
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brexanolone intravenous infusion (Zulresso, Sage Therapeutics), the first-ever drug indicated for the treatment of postpartum depression. The drug is administered under medical supervision as a continuous infusion over a total of 60 hours (2.5 days), according to the FDA. Postpartum depression can [...]