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PsychiatryRounds Psychiatry News's Blog – June 2008 Archive (10)

SPECT identifies possible basis of social anxiety disorder

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - A physiological reason may explain why the shrinking violet in your family is so shy. Using brain SPECT, Dutch researchers have detected irregularities in dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems in the brains of such individuals that appear to be linked to social anxiety disorder, a condition that affects an estimated 15 million adults in the U.S. and frequently leads to alcoholism and depression.

Dr. Nic J.A. van der Wee, a psychiatrist specializing in… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 5, 2008 at 5:00am — No Comments

PIB-PET offers early proof of Alzheimer's disease onset

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - Groundbreaking research has confirmed that Pittsburgh Compound B binds to the beta-amyloid deposits in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The finding is a major step toward an early, definitive diagnosis of the memory-stealing condition.

"As excited as researchers get, we are pretty excited," said senior author Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

For full article,… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 3, 2008 at 9:00pm — No Comments

The Concept of Recovery in Major Depression

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) -

Psychiatric Times - Category 1 Credit

To earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™:

Read the article "Diagnosing and Treating ADHD in Adults" from the May 2008 issue of Psychiatric Times, complete the posttest and the evaluation. (Note: A score of at least 70% must be achieved in order to be awarded credit.)

The posttest will be scored instantly and results will be shown onscreen. Please make a copy of your test results for your continuing education… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Cognitive Therapy Research in Depression Treatment: Not Just STAR*D

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - Dr Edward S. Friedman mainly focused on the STAR*D trial as providing a guide to the role of cognitive therapy (CT) in the treatment of depression (he was the national CT director for STAR*D). While the article also briefly mentions some equivocal results for CT in depression treatment, I don't think any up-to-date article on the topic of the role of CT in depression treatment can be complete without mentioning another recent study by Parker and Fletcher.1 Their study was… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Research-Based Psychotherapy

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - The practice of one human being helping another to feel better through the use of talk is as old as humanity itself. As a profession, however, psychiatry has existed for only 100 years. During that time, both the theory and the technique have evolved. Changes have been driven as often by politics and culture as by advances in knowledge. From the early days of psychoanalysis, many hoped that psychotherapy would be based in an empirical science, yet relatively little of its… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

New Research on Insomnia

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - Anyone who has spent a sleepless night needs no convincing about the subjective discomfort associated with lying in bed awake and unable to sleep. In addition to nighttime discomfort, insomnia is associated with a wide assortment of daytime impairments, some intuitive and some startling. A number of studies have found decreased scores on quality-of-life scales in persons with insomnia. On the Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey, persons with insomnia score lower than good… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 6:00am — No Comments

Mood and Anxiety Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the major cause of death and disability among young adults. In spite of preventive measures, the incidence of a TBI associated with motor vehicle accidents, falls, assault, and high-contact sports continues to be alarmingly high and constitutes a major public health concern. In addition, the recent military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a large number of persons with blast injuries and brain trauma. Taking into account… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 5:00am — No Comments

Antidepressants for Bipolar Disorder

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - According to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, bipolar disorder (bipolar affective disorder, manic-depressive disorder) is characterized by marked mood swings between mania (mood elevation) and depression. The essential feature of bipolar I disorder (BDI) is a clinical course that is defined by the occurrence of 1 or more manic or mixed episodes; the essential feature of bi-polar II disorder (BDII) is a clinical course that is defined by the occurrence of 1 or more major… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 3:30am — No Comments

Antidepressants for Bipolar Disorder

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 3:30am — No Comments

Reframing ADHD in the Genomic Era

(PSYCHIATRIC TIMES) - In the era of genomics, psychiatry—like all areas of medicine—will likely undergo radical change. As genetic risk factors are uncovered and the dynamic nature of gene expression is elucidated, novel approaches to prevention will diminish or preempt diagnosis and treatment for many psychiatric and neurobehavioral disorders. While we are in the infant stage of this change, it is perhaps not too early to begin to investigate how such a reorientation will influence our… Continue

Added by psychiatryRounds Psychiatry News on June 1, 2008 at 2:30am — No Comments