Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Prescribing Antidepressants for Depression in Bipolar Disorder--Point/Counterpoint
A CME unit in Psychiatric Times - "Upon completion of this educational activity, the reader will be familiar with: Viewpoints for and against prescribing antidepressants for depression in bipolar disorder (BD); research regarding BD switching into mania or rapid cycling with antidepressant use; discontinuing antidepressant medication in patients with BD; combination therapy with mood stabilizers and antidepressants for the treatment of BD."  
  

Panel urges suicide warnings on 9 drugs
Boston Globe story - "Nine antidepressants should carry the government's strongest warning that they can cause suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior in children under 18, a panel of medical advisers told the US Food and Drug Administration yesterday. Research presented during a two-day hearing indicated that the drugs, including Prozac and other newer generation antidepressants, can cause suicidal thoughts or attempts in 2 to 3 percent of children who take them. Between 1 million and 2 million children take antidepressants, and the number is increasing, according to Julie Magno Zito, associate professor of pharmacy and psychiatry at the University of Maryland in Baltimore who studies drug use in children. While concerned about discouraging patients from taking drugs that can help relieve depression, panel members said it was important that families be aware of the serious but small risk. The panel voted 15 to 8 to add a ''black box' warning to the information sheets that drug companies package with the pills."  
  

Genetic Research Aims to Isolate Bipolar Gene
Ascribe Newswire press release - "The Indiana University School of Medicine has embarked on a massive search to isolate the specific gene responsible for bipolar I disorder. The School's Institute for Psychiatric Research is continuing a collaboration with the National Institute for Mental Health and 11 other U.S. academic centers. Their goal is to narrow the field from suspect areas of chromosomes to isolate genes that affect the mental health of thousands of Americans. The Institute began the collaborative research 15 years ago and has successfully identified areas of genetic linkage on specific chromosomes. With new funding from the NIMH, the IU researches hope to hone in on the specific gene by collecting genetic information from 5,000 people with bipolar I disorder. This multi-center trial has received a five-year, $16 million NIMH grant."