Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Psychiatry for February 2006. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Iraq War Takes Mental Toll on Returning Service Members
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- About 20 percent of U.S. service members returning from the Iraq war report mental health problems, a greater percentage than service members serving in Afghanistan or other locations, according to a study in the March 1 issue the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Teens with Conduct Disorder Have Risk-Taker Traits
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Adolescents with conduct and substance use disorders have a greater propensity for risk-taking compared with their peers, but also have slower reaction times, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Optimistic Elderly Men Have Lower Cardiovascular Mortality
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Optimistic elderly men have about half the risk of cardiovascular mortality as their less optimistic peers, researchers from the Netherlands report in the Feb. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Conduct Problems in Boys Due in Part to ADHD, Peer Issues
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Young boys are more likely than girls to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), neurodevelopmental difficulties and peer problems, which may explain why they are more likely to exhibit conduct disorders in the preteen years, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Overall, boys and girls were exposed to similar social and family risk factors for disruptive behavior disorders.
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Survey Shows Many in U.S. Shun Psychiatric Medications
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans believe that psychiatric medications are effective but say they would not use them for depression, panic attacks or other problems, according to a report published by the Indiana University-based Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services.
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Prenatal Factors Predict Depression in Childhood
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Prenatal and early childhood factors can predict depression and anxiety in children at age 10, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Providing Study Results to Trial Patients May Be Harmful
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Rather than automatically provide clinical trial participants with final study results, researchers should use a revised consent strategy providing education and data relevant to the participants' future management, according to a commentary published online Feb. 27 in Cancer.
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DHA May Reduce Dyskinesia in Parkinson Disease
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LIDs) in a nonhuman primate model of Parkinson disease, according to a study published in the February issue of the Annals of Neurology.
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'Getting Ready' Tasks A Problem For Children With ADHD
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are being treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) still have more problems than other children with daily "getting ready to go" tasks, which can be a source of frustration and friction with parents, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Benzodiazepines, Short- or Long-Acting, Risky for Elderly
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who take benzodiazepines run a greater risk of developing problems with mobility and performing the activities of daily living (ADL) than non-users, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The risk is increased with both short- and long-acting forms of the drugs, the authors say.
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Childhood Depression May Precede Teen Ecstasy Use
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood anxiety and depression may predict increased use of the recreational drug ecstasy (MDMA) in adolescence and young adulthood, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in BMJ.
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Some Antidepressants Riskier for Bipolar Patients Than Others
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Antidepressant treatment of patients with bipolar disorder is associated with a high risk of threshold switches to full-duration hypomania or mania, with venlafaxine having the highest risk among antidepressants tested, according to a study in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Exercise Program May Curb Depression After Stroke
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke patients may reduce their risk of depression if they participate in a structured exercise program as part of their rehabilitation, according to a report in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Lower Doses of Nalmefene May Help Pathological Gamblers
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Lower doses of the opioid antagonist nalmefene may be an effective treatment for pathological gambling, according to a study in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Common Brain Responses in Bipolar Patients and Siblings
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Common brain changes in response to emotional challenge have been identified in bipolar patients and their healthy siblings, suggesting a potential marker for bipolar risk, according to a study in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Siblings of Autistic Patients Prone to Social Impairment
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The siblings of children with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders may also have social impairment, particularly if they are from multiple-incidence families, according to a study in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Stress Hormone Cortisol May Triple Risk of Miscarriage
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- High levels of the stress hormone cortisol in early pregnancy may nearly triple the risk of miscarriage, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Sex-Specific Gene May Be Linked to Parkinson Disease
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The male-specific Sry gene, which directs gonads to develop as testes instead of ovaries, is also responsible for controlling neuronal function in the adult male brain and may play a role in the development of predominantly male conditions such as Parkinson disease, according to a study in rodents published in the Feb. 21 issue of Current Biology.
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Adult Asthma, Obesity Linked to Depression in Childhood
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Asthmatics are more likely to become obese over time, but obesity is not associated with a greater risk of asthma later in life, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the International Journal of Obesity. What's more, both conditions are more common in adults aged 20 to 40 who had symptoms of depression in childhood.
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Pathological Gambling Not Always Chronic, Persistent
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to the DSM-IV definition of pathological gambling disorder as chronic and persistent, a substantial number of pathological gamblers recover without any formal treatment, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Most Wouldn't Choose Child's Sex, Survey Says
MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A cross-sectional, Web-based survey of nearly 1,200 people suggests that, if given the chance, most would not choose the gender of their child. The results are published in the February issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility.
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Study Links Circadian Clock, Lithium and Bipolar Disorder
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The beneficial effects of lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder may be due to its degradation of the Rev-erb-alpha receptor, a negative regulator of circadian clock gene expression, according to a study published in the Feb. 17 issue of Science. The discovery may provide a molecular basis for how lithium works to treat bipolar disorder, which is associated with altered circadian rhythm.
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Higher Education May Lead to Faster Alzheimer's Decline
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although highly educated people have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease, they may have a faster rate of cognitive decline if they do develop the disease compared with patients with less education, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Smoking Link to Parkinson's May Be Due to Personality
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking and caffeine intake have been found to be protective against Parkinson disease in past research, but a new study suggests that the habits may be less common in people with low sensation-seeking personality traits who are at higher risk of the disease. The findings are published in the March issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Electroconvulsive Therapy Boosts Quality of Life
THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Electroconvulsive therapy significantly improves quality of life in depressed patients for at least six months, researchers report in the February issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.
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More SSRI Adverse Events Reported After TV Program
THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- A series of negative television programs about the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine may have led to a short-term increase in adverse event reports, U.K. researchers report in the February issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Adverse event reports increased from 8.3 to 13.4 per 100,000 prescriptions after the programs aired.
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Risk of Dying is Higher in Year After Spouse Hospitalized
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients have a higher risk of dying in the year after a spouse is hospitalized than they do at other times, particularly if the spouse has dementia, psychiatric disease or hip fracture, researchers report in the Feb. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Female Athletes Vulnerable to Trio of Health Problems
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Elite athletes who are prone to the female athlete triad -- a combination of eating disorders, amenorrhea and osteoporosis -- may find that management and treatment are affected by factors specific to top sporting competition, according to an article published online Feb. 9 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
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Stress Resistance Seen in Conditioned Primates
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Primates can be conditioned against stress by multiple "inoculations" during infancy that, much like a vaccine, can lead to long-term stress resistance, according to a report published online Feb. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Melatonin No Panacea for Jetlag, Other Sleep Problems
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- There is no evidence that melatonin can help prevent sleep problems due to jetlag or shiftwork, or those due to secondary sleep disorders caused by medical or neurological problems or substance misuse, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in BMJ.
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Surgery for Vulvar Vestibulitis Allows Pain-Free Intercourse
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- An established surgical procedure for vulvar vestibulitis allows many patients to have pain-free sexual intercourse, and has a success rate nearly twice those reported for more conservative treatments, according to a report in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Very Preterm Birth May Have Impact on Personality
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Being born very preterm (VPT) has an effect on personality and may be associated with increased risk of psychiatric difficulties in adulthood, according to a study in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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Turning Off Gene Reverses Social Aversion in Mice
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Mice that are socially averse due to bullying by other mice can have their behavior reversed if they are treated with antidepressants, according to a study published in the Feb. 10 issue of Science. What's more, turning off a gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key regulator of dopamine release, prevents the social avoidance behavior and mimics the effect of antidepressants.
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Hyperemesis Gravidarum Linked to Low Birth Weight
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Hyperemesis gravidarum is associated with low birth weight only if maternal weight gain is poor, and the condition is more likely to occur in women with hyperthyroid disorders, psychiatric conditions, previous molar pregnancy and other comorbid conditions, according to two studies from the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Children Who Read Well Less Likely to Become Aggressive
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Children from low-income families who are good readers in first grade are less likely to develop aggressive behavior in later years, according to a study in the January/February issue of Child Development.
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Attitude Can Affect Drug Compliance In Schizophrenia
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Schizophrenics who are concerned about achieving their lifetime goals and who feel that their medication is helping them are more likely to adhere to their neuroleptic regimens than more agitated patients who do not feel that way, Japanese investigators report in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research.
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Brain Scans May Predict Cognitive Decline
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In cognitively healthy older patients, brain scans may detect neurological changes that predict the development of cognitive decline, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Pregnant Problem Drinkers Prefer Beer, and More of It
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy drinkers tend to consume beer more often than wine or liquor during pregnancy, and they drink more of it, according to a study in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Black Cohosh, St. John's Wort Ease Climacteric Complaints
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A fixed combination of black cohosh and St. John's wort is better than a placebo at relieving climacteric complaints that have a psychological component, such as depression or fatigue, according to a study published in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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SSRI Use in Late Pregnancy May Place Infants at Risk
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) late in pregnancy may have an increased risk of giving birth to an infant with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), according to a study in the Feb. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Insomnia Affects One in Ten Adolescents
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Insomnia is common and chronic in adolescents, and girls are more likely to develop the condition after the onset of menstruation, according to a study published in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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Teen Girl Athletes at Risk for Eating, Bone Mass Problems
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Female high school athletes may be putting their long-term health at risk due to a "triad" of disordered eating, menstrual irregularity and low bone mass, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Twin Study Shows Genetics Play Role in Alzheimer Disease
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A study of twins suggests genetic factors predict both the likelihood and time of onset of Alzheimer disease, according to a report in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Depression Linked to Brain Plaques in Alzheimer's
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Alzheimer disease patients who have a lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD) have more brain plaques and tangles and faster cognitive decline than Alzheimer patients without depression, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Many Physicians Unaware of Limits of Urine Drug Test
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most primary care physicians who treat adolescents have ordered a urine drug test for a patient at some point, many are unaware of the proper procedures for sample collection and validation, as well as the limitations of drug testing, according to results published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
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Nearly 40 Percent of Civil War Vets Had Post-War Symptoms
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Civil War veterans who witnessed significant trauma and those who were relatively young at the time were more likely to experience post-war heart, gastrointestinal and nervous diseases than other soldiers, according to an examination of medical records published in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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SSRI Exposure in Utero Can Lead to Withdrawal Symptoms
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- About 30 percent of neonates exposed to selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in utero have neonatal abstinence syndrome, with symptoms such as tremor, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances and high-pitched cries, researchers report in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Parental Disapproval of Violence Has Impact on Youth
MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Parents who clearly express their disapproval of violence to resolve conflicts and who do not use physical punishment on their children are less likely to produce violent offspring, according to a study published in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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Schizophrenia May Affect Ability To Detect Emotion
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with schizophrenia and co-morbid psychopathy have an impaired ability to detect negative human emotions, according to a study published in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research.
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Eating Disorders Linked to Nicotine, Alcohol, Depression
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Patients dependent on nicotine or alcohol or who have depression or anxiety are twice as likely as patients without these risk factors to have at least two diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, German researchers report in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research.
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Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Mild Cognitive Impairment
THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients who use anticholinergic drugs have an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment but not of dementia compared to those who don't use the drugs, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in BMJ.
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Better Access to Primary Care Helps Depressed Patients
THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A large multi-specialty group in Minneapolis that made major improvements in their patients' access to primary care in the year 2000 found that it resulted in better quality care for depressed patients, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Sexual Satisfaction May Decline in Men in Infertile Couples
THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- About 45% of men report a decline in sexual satisfaction and frequency after a couple receives an infertility diagnosis compared with the time before diagnosis, Iranian researchers report in the January issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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'Blue Light' Improves Alertness and Reaction Time
THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Nighttime exposure to short-wavelength light, or so-called "blue light," may improve alertness and performance, according to study findings published in the Feb. 1 issue of Sleep.
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Additional Antipsychotic Drug Does Not Ease Schizophrenia
WEDNESDAY, Feb 1 (HealthDay News) -- Adding the antipsychotic drug risperidone to clozapine does not improve the symptoms of patients with severe schizophrenia, according to a study in the Feb. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Depression Treatment Has Little Impact on Diabetic Care
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetics who receive enhanced depression treatment do not practice better diabetes self-management, according to a study in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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