Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.
Antidepressants may not improve all symptoms of depression, UT Southwestern researchers find – Even people who show a clear treatment response with antidepressant medications continue to experience symptoms like insomnia, sadness and decreased concentration, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found after analyzing data from the largest study on the treatment of depression.
Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in Treatment of Dementia Declined After FDA Warning – A warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration regarding the use of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of dementia was associated with a significant decline in the use of these medications for treating dementia symptoms in elderly patients.
Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia Associated With Subtle Loss in Brain Volume – Patients with schizophrenia who take antipsychotic medications appear to lose a small but measurable amount of brain tissue over time, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Contact With the Criminal Justice System May Be Associated With Suicide Risk – Men and women who have had contact with the criminal justice system-even if they have never received a jail or prison sentence or a guilty verdict-appear to have a significantly higher rate of suicide than the general population.
Psychotic Illness Appears to Begin at Younger Age Among Those Who Use Cannabis – Cannabis use appears to be associated with an earlier onset of psychotic illness, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies published in Archives of General Psychiatry.
UCLA researchers find that Medicaid-funded ADHD treatment for children is failing – Whatever its final incarnation, the recently enacted landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand Medicaid eligibility and is expected by 2013 to provide coverage, including mental health care, to an estimated 4.1 million children currently uninsured.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to be similar to maintenance antidepressant medication for preventing relapse or recurrence among patients successfully treated for depression. – A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy–using meditation-provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication.
University of Utah and Harvard researchers take major step toward first biological test for autism – Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy.
New study strengthens link between everyday stress and obesity using an animal model — Study using animal model shows stress has impact in the short term causing metabolic changes in the longer term that contribute to obesity – Stress can take a daily toll on us that has broad physical and psychological implications. Science has long documented the effect of extreme stress, such as war, injury or traumatic grief on humans. Typically, such situations cause victims to decrease their food intake and body weight. Recent studies, however, tend to suggest that social stress–public speaking, tests, job and relationship pressures–may have the opposite effect–over-eating and weight gain.
Cognitive behavior therapy improves symptom control in adult ADHD — Skills-based treatment added to medication helps patients handle persistent symptoms – Adding cognitive behavioral therapy ? an approach that teaches skills for handling life challenges and revising negative thought patterns ? to pharmaceutical treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) significantly improved symptom control in a study of adult patients.
Inherited brain activity predicts childhood risk for anxiety – A new study focused on anxiety and brain activity pinpoints the brain regions that are relevant to developing childhood anxiety.
NewYork-Presbyterian No. 6 hospital in nation, No. 1 in NY – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive academic medical centers, is ranked #6 in the nation and #1 among ranked hospitals in the New York area, according to U.S. News Media Group’s 2010-11 Best Hospitals.
