Off-Label Use Of Antipsychotic MedicationsReducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use...
Broadening Bipolar Disorder Criteria Could Do More Harm Than Good For PatientsA Rhode Island Hospital psychiatrist and researcher explains the negative impact of broadening the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder in the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). In a newly published commentary in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Mark Zimmerman, M.D...
2nd Generation Anti-Psychotic Drugs Publication BiasAccording to a study published in PLoS Medicine, trials of second-generation anti-psychotic drugs, i.e. newer forms of medications for the treatment of psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia, that have been published in medical journals, may embellish their apparent clinical effectiveness. This selective reporting of trials is a phenomenon called publication bias...
Circadian Rhythm May Hold Key For Treatment Of Bipolar DisorderScientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. Bipolar disorder is characterised by alternating states of elevated mood, or mania, and depression. It affects between 1% and 3% of the general population...
Impulsive Behavior Regulated By Cannabinoid 2 ReceptorsA new study lead by the Neuroscience Institute of Alicante reveals how manipulating the endocannabinoid system can modulate high levels of impulsivity. This is the main problem in psychiatric illnesses such a schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse...
New Study May End 2 Decades Of Suspicion: Does Borna Disease Virus Cause Mental Illness?Over the past 30 years, numerous studies have linked Borna disease virus (BDV) with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and dementia. Genetic fragments and antibodies to this RNA virus, which causes behavior disorders in a range of mammals and birds, have been found to be prevalent in psychiatric patients, but study results have been inconsistent...
Lithium For Bipolar Disorder - Pros And Cons UnclearThe most effective long-term treatment for bipolar disorder is lithium. It offers protection against depression and mania and reduces the risk of suicide and short-term mortality. However, according to a study in The Lancet ,safety concerns have made the use of lithium controversial...
Improvements In Unipolar And Bipolar Depression Following Deep Brain StimulationA new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder (BP). The study was published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The study was led by Helen S...
Rare Genetic Mutations Linked To Bipolar DisorderAn international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder. The findings were published in the Dec. 22 issue of the journal Neuron...
Link Between Opioid Abuse And Mood And Anxiety DisordersIndividuals suffering from mood and anxiety disorders such as bipolar, panic disorder and major depressive disorder may be more likely to abuse opioids, according to a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They found that mood and anxiety disorders are highly associated with non-medical prescription opioid use...
Rare Deletions Or Duplications Of DNA Tied To Bipolar DisorderNew research led by University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, finds that rare copy number variants (CNVs) where sections of DNA are either duplicated or missing, seem to play a key role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder, which appears in childhood or early adulthood...