Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Panel Probes FDA Moves on Antidepressant Risks
March 25 Reuters Health story at Medscape - "A U.S. House of Representatives committee is investigating whether health officials issued timely warnings about a potential suicide risk in children treated with antidepressants, two leading Republicans said on Wednesday. The House Energy and Commerce Committee also is examining whether regulators, or Congress, should require additional precautions on the labels of the drugs, according to a letter from Reps. Joe Barton and Jim Greenwood. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday urged close monitoring of patients taking antidepressants for signs of worsening depression and suicidal thoughts."  
  

Highlights of the International Congress of Biological Psychiatry
A new CME from Medscape, including sections on The Long-term Challenges of Mood Stabilization in Bipolar Disorder, Neuroimaging in Bipolar Disorder, New Findings in the Phenomenology of Depression, Update on the Treatment of Depression, Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: An Update, and Acute and Long-term Biological Treatment of Schizophrenia. [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

The Complex Interaction of Cognitive Issues
Article in the March Psychiatric Times - "Cognitive impairment is a common symptom in many psychiatric and neurologic conditions. The articles selected for this Psychiatric Times special report provide a sampling of some important and topical issues regarding the influence of various factors on cognition in individuals with neuropsychiatric conditions."  
  

The Impact of Neuroleptics on Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning in Schizophrenia
Article in the March Psychiatric Times - " There is broad consensus that cognitive deficits play a crucial role for both the pathogenesis and prognosis of schizophrenic psychoses. Cognitive disturbances often precede the first psychotic episode (Cannon et al., 2000) and persist over the different stages of the illness (Goldberg et al., 1993). It is important to note, however, that not all patients display neurocognitive disturbances and that contrary to early descriptions of the disorder (Kraepelin, 1893), recent cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder rather than a neurodegenerative one (Moritz et al., 2002a; Rund, 1998)..."  
  

The Interface of Depression and Dementia
Story in the March Psychiatric Times - "Depression and dementia or Alzheimer's disease often go together. The presence of dementia may also increase the odds of depression. What can clinicians do to treat these two often comorbid conditions?"  
  

Child Psychiatry Faces Workforce Shortage
Article in the March Psychiatric Times - "Many children today are receiving inadequate mental health care due to a decrease in the number of well-trained providers, while the prevalence of children's mental health problems is increasing. Legislation is pending in the U.S. House and Senate to address these issues..."