Psychiatry News and Research

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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

Caution on COX inhibitor use in preterm infants

Very-low-birthweight preterm infants with thrombocytopenia treated with cyclooxygenase inhibitors are at an increased risk for intracerebral hemorrhage, particularly if they have decreased platelet levels, research shows.

5 Feb 2013

Restricting gifts in medical school influences future prescribing behavior

US physicians who attended a medical school with a policy restricting acceptance of gifts from pharmaceutical companies are less likely to prescribe newly marketed drugs than physicians who were not exposed to such restrictions during training, according to research published in the BMJ.

5 Feb 2013

Location of altered brain metabolite levels found in bipolar I patients

Bipolar I disorder patients have increased phospholipid levels in the thalami and increased N-acetyl-aspartate levels in the left hippocampus compared with healthy individuals, a team of investigators has discovered.

5 Feb 2013

‘Urgent need’ for primary care pneumonia diagnosis tools

While family doctors can exclude pneumonia with a high level of accuracy, they can only identify around a third of radiographically confirmed cases, research shows.

5 Feb 2013

UCSD receives $3.4M NIMH grant to study successful aging in HIV-infected adults

The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded a $3.4 million grant to a team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to study successful aging in HIV-infected adults. HIV is a serious, chronic, medical disease that affects the lives of more than one million Americans.

5 Feb 2013

Amygdala not the only gatekeeper of fear in human mind

When doctors at the University of Iowa prepared a patient to inhale a panic-inducing dose of carbon dioxide, she was fearless. But within seconds of breathing in the mixture, she cried for help, overwhelmed by the sensation that she was suffocating.

5 Feb 2013

Interferon retreatment warning in HCV

Hepatitis C virus patients who do not respond to interferon should not receive further treatment with the drug, say the authors of a new Cochrane review.

4 Feb 2013

Oral toxicity is frequent limitation of mTOR therapy

Oral mucositis is a frequent complication in patients taking mTOR inhibitors and a major reason for dose reductions and discontinuations in clinical trials, according to a review of this class of cancer drugs.

4 Feb 2013

Mood disorder clinics improve bipolar disorder outcomes

Early treatment of patients with bipolar disorder in a specialized mood disorder clinic substantially reduces the risk for readmission to a psychiatric hospital, clinical trial findings show.

4 Feb 2013

Modafinil may help some people to reduce drinking by improving their impulse control

Poor impulse control contributes to one's inability to control the consumption of rewarding substances, like food, alcohol, and other drugs. This can lead to the development of addiction. FDA-approved medications for alcoholism, like naltrexone (Revia) and disulfiram (Antabuse), are thought to reduce alcohol consumption by curbing cravings and creating unpleasant reactions to alcohol, effects which reduce the desire to drink alcohol.

2 Feb 2013

CBT and graded exercise therapy increase likelihood of recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome

Research led by Queen Mary, University of London, has shown that recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is possible for some patients, and has identified two treatments most likely to lead to recovery.

2 Feb 2013

Book reviews psilocybin's potential in alleviating psychological distress in cancer patients

Improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers in recent years have led to a marked increase in patients' physical survival rates. While doctors can treat the physical disease, what is not well understood is how best to address the psychological needs of patients with cancer.

1 Feb 2013

Study supports hypothesis that disulfiram reduces drug consumption by blocking DβH

Disulfiram was the first medication approved for the treatment of alcoholism over 50 years ago. It works, at least in part, by preventing the metabolism of an alcohol by-product, acetaldehyde. High levels of acetaldehyde in the body quickly cause unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, headache, and accelerated heart rate. Thus, disulfiram provides a very strong incentive to avoid drinking.

1 Feb 2013

Study expands and deepens biological and genetic links between CVD and schizophrenia

A new study, to be published in the Feb. 7, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, expands and deepens the biological and genetic links between cardiovascular disease and schizophrenia. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature death among schizophrenia patients, who die from heart and blood vessel disorders at a rate double that of persons without the mental disorder.

1 Feb 2013

Gene variant boosts ulcer susceptibility in NSAID users

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the cytochrome P450 2C gene cluster influences the risk for peptic ulcer disease in people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a study reveals.

31 Jan 2013

Mood disorder clinics improve bipolar disorder outcomes

Early treatment of patients with bipolar disorder in a specialized mood disorder clinic substantially reduces the risk for readmission to a psychiatric hospital, clinical trial findings show.

31 Jan 2013

Acute schizophrenia shows increased NMDA-R antibody prevalence

Patients with acute schizophrenia have an increased prevalence of N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antibodies that is distinct from that seen in NMDA-R encephalitis, scientists have found.

31 Jan 2013

CUMC receives $7M to help establish Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center

Seeking to bridge the transition from pediatric to adult care for people living with cerebral palsy, Debby and Peter A. Weinberg, with several of their family members and friends, have given more than $7 million to help establish the Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

31 Jan 2013

Birthweight extremes influence psychotic symptom severity

Both high and low birthweight increase the severity of psychotic symptoms, particularly disorganized and negative symptoms, research indicates.

30 Jan 2013

Scientists discover functional control strategies in emotional circuits of people with social phobia

Fear is a protective function against possible dangers that is designed to save our lives. Where there are problems with this fear mechanism, its positive effects are cancelled out: patients who have a social phobia become afraid of perfectly normal, everyday social situations because they are worried about behaving inappropriately or being thought of as stupid by other people.

30 Jan 2013