Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Deep Brain Stimulation May Increase Suicide Risk   Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Patients who have undergone successful deep brain stimulation (DBS) as treatment for movement disorders appear to be at increased risk of suicide, Swiss physicians report in the December 14th issue of the journal Neurology. DBS combined with levodopa dose reductions may also unmask symptoms of restless leg syndrome (RLS), an American research team reports in the same issue." "med"  
  

Benefits Found in Long-Distance Psychotherapy   Newswise press release - "It may seem like a basic necessity of any treatment that the patient and the doctor be in the same room—especially in the case of the very personal process of psychotherapy. But as the January issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter reports, studies are showing that psychotherapy can be effective even when the doctor is “seeing” the patient through phone calls or video. One study done on veterans in Maryland, for example, found that patients who used computer video to make contact with their psychiatrist were just as satisfied with therapy as those who had more traditional sessions. Another study found that symptoms improved in depressed patients who received cognitive behavioral therapy by phone. " The Harvard Mental Health Letter is a fee-based newsletter.