Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Study Urges Screening of Newborns
AP story at PsycPORT - "Technology that allows the screening of newborns for several rare genetic diseases at once can help prevent mental retardation and other complications more effectively than conventional tests done after symptoms develop, researchers say. A study found that because the technology allows earlier diagnosis and prompt treatment, retardation among infants was much less common and hospitalization was less frequent. All states require testing of newborns for phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism, which can cause retardation if untreated, but not all use the newer method. States differ on the other diseases for which testing is required. The new technology, called tandem mass spectrometry, uses a single drop of blood to screen for at least 20 diseases and is either in use or under consideration in about 25 states.."  
  

International Research Presented at WPA Conference
Psychiatric Times article - "A collection of research from the World Psychiatric Association's International Thematic Conference in Austria. Various symposia covering topics ranging from eating disorders to addiction treatments and depressive disorders were presented."  
  

Cognitive Behavior Therapy More Effective Than Nutritional Counseling in Anorexia
Medscape Medical News story - "Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is more effective than nutritional counseling in improving outcomes in the treatment of adult anorexia nervosa and preventing relapse, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry." "med"