Monday, October 20, 2003
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder: An Expert Interview With Robert Kowatch, MD
Interview published in
Medscape Medical News - "Bipolar disorder is an emerging diagnosis in child and adolescent psychiatry. To examine the important issues in bipolar disorder in this population, Medscape's Robert Kennedy talked with Robert Kowatch, MD, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Center at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, both in Ohio." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Scientists Create 'Pharmacy in a Chip' UPI story at PsycPORT - "Scientists have developed a tiny implantable microchip that can be loaded with several doses of multiple drugs to be released at specified intervals over a period of months. The chip -- about the length and thickness of a fingernail -- could be useful for delivering drugs that must be taken continuously, such as pain relievers or antidepressants, and has the potential to change how the pharmaceutical industry approaches drug delivery, a $54 billion market in the United States. Robert Langer, a biomedical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator of the study, called the device 'a pharmacy in a chip' and said the ability to load multiple drugs on a chip makes it an attractive method for delivering medications to patients who have to take several per day, such as the elderly or AIDS patients."
Genetic Difference Discovered in People with Depression and Completed Suicide
Canada NewsWire story at
PsycPORT - "After a pioneering seven-year study, Canadian scientists have discovered a new genetic difference in people suffering from severe depression and in those who have committed suicide. The findings by collaborative researchers at the University of Ottawa and the Institute of Mental Health Research, and McGill University's Douglas Hospital, Montreal -- represent a significant step forward in identifying individuals at risk for debilitating depression or even death."
New drug-and-psychotherapy program for bipolar disorder in children University of Illinois at Chicago press release at
EurekAlert - "A psychiatrist at the University of Illinois at Chicago has devised a promising drug regimen for children with bipolar disorder. In preliminary studies, the regimen, coupled with a psychotherapy program called RAINBOW, shows considerable success in alleviating the worst symptoms of the disease and enabling victims and families to cope."
Adult Alcoholism And Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Are Connected Press release from the journal
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research reprinted at
InteliHealth - "Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms include inattention, motor hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Roughly half of the adults who report ADHD symptoms also report a co-existing substance-abuse disorder. New findings published in the October issue of
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research have identified a distinct phenotype or "profile" of individuals with co-existing ADHD and alcoholism. Although prior studies have suggested a genetic commonality of ADHD and alcoholism, the study found no significant contribution of two specific candidate genes, the promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and the 5-HT2c receptor Cys23Ser polymorphism. "
