Amphetamine Related Disorders

The setting of a fast-paced emergency department (ED) or psychiatric emergency service makes it especially difficult to sensitively elicit and address an individual patient's needs and concerns. When considering the myriad differences in culture that come into play between a patient and a psychiatrist or other mental health care clinician, optimal diagnosis and treatment can be even more challenging, as the cases described here illustrate. The important influence of culture cannot be stressed enough. Taking the time to understand "where the patient is coming from" can prevent an already stressful, highly emotionally charged situation from becoming even more convoluted.

In 1931, Gananath Sen and Kartick Chandra Bose reported on the use of an alkaloid extract from the Rauwolfia serpentina plant in the treatment of hypertension and "insanity with violent maniacal symptoms." They noted that dosages "of 20 to 30 grains of the powder twice daily produce not only a hypnotic effect but also a reduction of blood pressure and violent symptoms

HHD, which affects only a small percentage (4%) of patients with PD, is characterized by adverse psychomotor effects related to dopamine replacement therapy.

If done properly, the assessment of alcohol and substance use disorders in the emergency department (ED) or psychiatric emergency service can be the first step toward recovery.

In a presentation given at the midyear meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, Andres Kanner, MD cited studies from the literature showing that the rates of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly higher among persons with epilepsy than among the general population

Most physicians make at least some use of the placebo effect to enhance treatments, whether they realize it or not. This article examines the extent of the placebo effect in patients with psychiatric illness, and reviews what is known about how placebos work.

The psychiatric community has a need for diagnostic and predictive tests. Some recent techniques have just become available for clinical care.

The use of psychiatric medications in children, including antidepressants (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and drugs used to manage attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, are continuing to be reviewed by the FDA.

Schizophrenia poses a challenge for diagnosis and treatment at least in part because it remains a syndromal diagnosis without clearly understood neuropathological bases or treatments with clearly understood mechanisms of action. Neuroimaging research promises to advance understanding of the unique pathological processes that contribute to this syndrome, and to foster both better appreciation of how current treatments work, and how future treatments should be developed.

Although several clinical studies suggest that cognitive impairments in schizophrenia are associated with reduced stimulation of dopamine receptors in the prefrontal cortex, mounting evidence suggests that other monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems may also be involved. We provide an overview of neurotransmitters that hold promise as therapeutic interventions for the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia.

If done properly, the assessment of alcohol and substance use disorders in the emergency department (ED) or psychiatric emergency service can be the first step toward recovery. A proper assessment, however, can be extremely taxing for both the clinician and the patient. This article offers a paradigm for performing a rapid and comprehensive evaluation in the ED of medically stable adults with alcohol and substance use disorders.

The most common club drugs or party drugs are MDMA, ketamine and GHB. How dangerous is continued use of these substances? Can they cause real damage to the brain?

There has been increasing interest in the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment of ADHD in children reduces the risk for later SUD in adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, medication treatment of substance-abusing adolescents with ADHD does not reduce the SUD. Diagnostic and treatment strategies for adults with ADHD plus SUDs are discussed.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been shown effective in the treatment of depression with psychosis. This efficacy appears to correlate with the SSRIs’ level of affinity at the sigma-1 receptors in the brain. What role does the sigma-1 receptor play in psychotic depression? Based on this role, are there implications for other treatments?

cognitive impairment,memory,stroke,spinal cord injury,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

New research into the genetic basis and possible genetic markers for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may open the door for new treatments. There is a clear concordance between twins who have ADHD, as well as siblings. What can genetic mapping tell us about treating ADHD?

Impulsive behaviors play an important role in both bipolar and substance abuse disorders. However, results of studies investigating this link are often ambiguous, in part, due to the multidimensional nature of the impulsivity construct and the fact that many studies use a single measurement technique. We describe a model of impulsivity characterized by three components: response initiation, response inhibition and consequence sensitivity. How these components differ from one another in terms of their use, behavioral theory and biological function is discussed, along with measurement techniques.

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation voluntarily withdrew natalizumab (Tysabri) from the market on February 28 and suspended clinical trials. The move came after 1 patient died and suspected progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy developed in another.

What actually happens neurochemically in the brain to cause addiction? A well-known researcher discusses her findings on the role that dopamine levels play in addiction and aversion to cocaine.

Many psychiatrists limit the application of their skills to individuals whose discomfort matches the phenomenological criteria of DSM-IV-TR. Can psychiatry transcend the concept of "objective cure" and include "subjective perfection" as a goal? Is there a logical reason why the concept of "treatment pills" cannot coexist with that of "lifestyle pills" on the psychiatric prescription pad? Dr. Giannini reflects on whether there can be both "cosmetic" as well as "reconstructive" psychiatry and if a disease is needed in order to be treated.

The chief psychiatrist of the Community-University Health Care Clinic in Minneapolis reflects on what he's learned caring for refugees from Southeast Asia and Somalia. His experiences can educate others caring for immigrants and refugees.

Rather than looking at the biological basis for depression, it may be more useful to look at the patient's worldview and how that may have primed them for depression. Examining events that took place in the patient's past lead to a solution to their current depression.

With all the various types of medications as well as different formulations that can be used to treat ADHD in adolescents, choosing the right one can be a difficult task. This analysis of the options will help make that choice easier.

Addiction-as-disease or addiction-as-choice may be better defined by delineating initial experimentation with addictive drugs from ongoing drug use. Repeated exposure to addictive substances changes the molecules and neurochemistry of the addict. Addiction-as-disease accepts the responsibility of the health care professional to treat the patient and precludes the stigmatization that addiction is a choice.

Weight-based dosing strategies have been used in psychostimulant studies for ADHD in children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. The efficacy of weight-based psychostimulant doses changes throughout early childhood and into adolescence in ways that are not in keeping with weight-based dosing practices. Future treatment and research must explore new possibilities in order to afford patients the most benefit for the least amount of effective drug intervention.

While progress in identifying the specific genetic variations that help determine an individual's vulnerability to addiction has been slow, a great deal has been uncovered about delineating the role that numerous genes and their protein products play in mediating the development of addiction.

Although there are numerous media accounts of the detrimental effects of the drug Ecstasy, there may also be some clinical uses in the treatment of PTSD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first-ever clinical trial of MDMA since it was banned in 1988. An expert in the field discusses what psychiatrists need to know about the popular "rave" drug and the compound's use as a therapeutic tool.

In this second article of a series, innovative research and technologies presented at the 41st Annual New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit meeting are highlighted.

In 1995, I noticed that I was spending more and more time playing solitaire on my computer. I was trying to learn a new computer program and was very frustrated by it.

Every year, more than half of newly approved drugs and biologics considered likely to be prescribed for children lack labeling information on safe and effective use. Seeking to rectify this situation, the FDA recently issued final regulations requiring new drugs and biologics that are therapeutically important for children or will be commonly used in children to have labeling information on safe pediatric use.