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Psychotropic Drug Handbook, 8th Edition

Dolls and other toys, such as teddy bears, can alleviate agitation, reduce withdrawal, help overcome communication challenges, and generally improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).

Spontaneous nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with greater mortality and more severe neurologic deficits than any other stroke subtype, with as many as half of all patients dying within 30 days and only 10% of survivors regaining functional independence.

At least 2 agents are being looked at as possible treatments for Huntington disease: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) inhibitor termed K245-14.

Gait deficits following stroke often are disabling and can dramatically reduce a patient's mobility. Affected patients are at high risk for debilitating falls that may result in fractures.

Men may be 2.2 times more likely than women to transmit multiple sclerosis (MS) to their children.

President George W. Bush's recent veto of the bill to expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research will probably not have any long-term devastating effects on the future treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) or Alzheimer disease (AD).

Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) may benefit patients with recurrent neuromyelitis optica (NMO) also known as Devic disease, an inflammatory disorder that strikes the optic nerves and spinal cord.

The addition of mitoxantrone (Novantrone) to interferon beta-1b (IFN beta-1b, Betaseron) therapy for the treatment of patients with aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) unresponsive to standard therapy may reduce the number of new enhancing lesions as well as life-threatening risks associated with mitoxantrone therapy.

Neurologists have long debated whether NMO is simply a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS) or a separate disease, and misdiagnosis is common.

How will the recent presidential veto on expansion of funding for stem cell research impact scientific endeavors in the United States?

Ampakines, agents that have been shown to enhance memory, appear to trigger endogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a natural mechanism in the brain that could restore neuronal viability and synaptic plasticity through increased trophic support.

An unfavorable prognosis may be in store for patients who report severely disrupted sleep patterns accompanied by rapid eye movement (REM).

Did you know the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) launched a new online epilepsy discussion forum this past February?

Although cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), specifically donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl), and rivastigmine (Exelon), are considered first-line treatment for Alzheimer disease (AD), they are not FDA-approved for use in late-stage disease.

Your patient has pain and numbness that extends from the shoulder to the hand. You suspect a herniated cervical disk, but the MRI scan comes back normal. What else could the culprit be?

Everyone is talking about the decline in reimbursements and the increase in overhead costs. While most practices are faltering, some are quite successful--that is, they are economically thriving. So what makes the difference?

The Terri Schiavo story that was widely publicized in early 2005 was one in which clinical issues were at best misunderstood and at worst overshadowed by political posturing and media sensationalism.

There will be some major changes in the Medicare fee schedule for 2007. While psychiatrists are apt to make out better than some other subspecialties, it is unclear whether total payments for psychiatrists will go up or down.

In a study published in the April issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers sought to determine whether young women who were hospitalized with acute MI also had higher rates of depression than other groups.

Having lost a few battles over state laws allowing psychologists to prescribe drugs in some cases, organized psychiatry is trying a new tactic--this time at the national level--in order to define professional boundaries in scientifically appropriate ways.

A review of the book, "Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry."

Stress Neurobiology and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor

Poetry of the Times

Is apathy in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) merely a symptom of depression or a core symptom of PD itself?

Interventions addressing symptom education, service continuity, and daily structure are the most effective in avoiding inpatient stays in patients with schizophrenia who have had multiple hospitalizations, a study in the June issue of The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease reported.

Did homophobia and other resentments have an influence on the outcome of the Academy Awards?

The continuation of the epidemic of childhood obesity and overweight has major implications and consequences for future research in psychopathology.

While many parents fear that strangers might kill their children, a parent is actually more likely to be the perpetrator. This column focuses on preventing the tragedy of maternal filicide.

While some mental health services for adolescents allow self-referral, many require parental involvement. There is increasing evidence that working with the family and the child is important if only to increase compliance with medication and to tackle any comorbid difficulties.