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Journal Watch condenses summaries of key research across specialties from more than 250 medical journals into concise yet comprehensive articles, incorporating clinical commentary from prominent physician-editors in the field.
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Featured Article
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Antiepileptics May Not Elevate Suicide Risk in Patients with Bipolar DisorderFree
- January 23, 2012
- Joel Yager, MD
A 30-year observational study showed no rise in risk for suicidal behaviors when antiepileptic medications were used.
- Reviewing:
- Leon AC et al. Am J Psychiatry 2011 Dec 15
Recent Psychiatry Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
ECT May Be More Effective Than rTMS
- January 23, 2012
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
In a head-to-head comparison study from Iran, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves depressive symptoms, but less so than electroconvulsive therapy.
- Reviewing:
- Keshtkar M et al. J ECT 2011 Dec; 27:310
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Difficult-to-Treat Depressed Patients May Be Bipolar
- January 23, 2012
- Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
Results based on analyses of a large national database validate clinician impressions that medication-nonresponsive depressed patients may have bipolar illness, often with atypical manifestations.
- Reviewing:
- Li C-T et al. Br J Psychiatry 2012 Jan; 200:45
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Information-Processing Deficit Precedes Onset of Schizophrenia
- January 23, 2012
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
Two markers of preattentive processing of changes in the auditory environment are different in healthy controls than in new schizophrenia patients or individuals at high disease risk.
- Reviewing:
- Atkinson RJ et al. Biol Psychiatry 2012 Jan 15; 71:98
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
How Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Work: Understanding More Fundamental Mechanisms of ActionFree
- January 13, 2012
- Joel Yager, MD
By stimulating microRNA miR-16 in the midline serotonergic raphe, fluoxetine initiates signaling cascades that lead to hippocampal neurogenesis.
- Reviewing:
- Launay JM et al. Translat Psychiatry 2011 Nov 22
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
How Well Are We Treating Depression?
- January 13, 2012
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
Despite a broader range of antidepressants and psychotherapies and more generic medications, this analysis of Medicaid data shows that the treatment of depression has not become cheaper and better.
- Reviewing:
- Fullerton CA et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2011 Dec; 68:1218
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Match Prototype to Patients to Identify Personality Disorders
- January 13, 2012
- Joel Yager, MD
Empirically validated narrative prototypes help clinicians accurately diagnose personality disorders.
- Reviewing:
- Westen D et al. Am J Psychiatry 2011 Dec 15
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Arsenic-Laden Rice: Another Contaminant to Worry About?
- January 13, 2012
- Jonathan Silver, MD
Arsenic levels were elevated in pregnant women who ate moderate amounts of rice, but the implications of this finding remain unknown.
- Reviewing:
- Gilbert-Diamond D et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011 Dec 20; 108:20656
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Diabetes Risk Increased with Atypical Antipsychotics in ChildrenFree
- January 9, 2012
- Barbara Geller, MD
Children who take these drugs or antidepressants require rigorous monitoring for diabetes, especially during the first 6 months of therapy.
- Reviewing:
- Andrade SE et al. Pediatrics 2011 Dec; 128:1135
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Desipramine for PTSD and Alcoholism in Military Veterans
- January 9, 2012
- Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
A modest-sized study suggests that this forgotten tricyclic might have beneficial effects that equal those of FDA-approved medications for these two conditions.
- Reviewing:
- Petrakis IL et al. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011 Nov 16
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Serotonin and Stress — It's Complicated
- January 9, 2012
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
Exposure to stress in infant animals leads to enhanced expression of a serotonin receptor gene in adults, a finding that might point the way to new mood and anxiety therapies.
- Reviewing:
- Benekareddy M et al. Biol Psychiatry 2011 Dec 1; 70:1024
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Phone-Based CBT Is Effective in Easing Chronic Widespread Pain
- December 1, 2011
- By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- General Medicine
Exercise was roughly equally as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy, and both together were even better.
- Reviewing:
- Arch Intern Med 2011 Nov 14
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Some Benefit Reported with Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain
- November 17, 2011
- By Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
- General Medicine
Back function, but not pain, was better with yoga.
- Reviewing:
- Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 1; 155:569
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Excess Bleeding Risk in Patients Taking SSRIs plus Antiplatelet DrugsFree
- December 1, 2011
- By Allan S. Brett, MD
- General Medicine
An interaction was noted in patients with coronary disease.
- Reviewing:
- CMAJ 2011 Nov 8; 183:1835
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Use of Stimulants in Adolescents with Substance Abuse and ADHDFree
- October 26, 2011
- By Martin T. Stein, MD
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Adding stimulant treatment to behavioral therapy did not further reduce ADHD symptoms or substance use.
- Reviewing:
- J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2011 Sep; 50:903
Journal Watch Psychiatry summarizes important medical journal articles about a wide variety of psychiatric subjects including antidepressants, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, cognitive therapy, dementia, depression, psychotherapy, and schizophrenia.
