It’s been a busy week in psychiatry and CNS disorder news and research. Let’s get to it.
Monday
Clinicians should not assume that all sleep-related symptoms are consequences of psychiatric illness or medication, according to a new The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry study. A better approach, the authors said, is to stay cognizant of the potential for coexisting obstructive sleep disorder (OSA) that requires treatment. Our news team dove into research that explains why antidepressants often lead to low sex drive and emotional blunting.
Tuesday
Speaking of sleep, more than half of primary care patients report having trouble with sleep. That’s why The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders’ update on the clinical diagnosis and management of insomnia is so timely. In case you missed it, check out this interview with Montefiore Hospital’s Rubi Vaughn, MD on reproductive psychiatry, an emerging speciality that prioritizes the mental health needs of women in their childbearing years.
Wednesday
It’s long been thought that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is counterproductive for people with dementia. Not so, found this JCP investigation of ECT as a potential treatment for comorbid depression and dementia. It also appears it’s time to rewrite the anatomy books with the discovery of SLYM, a slender neural membrane that forms a protective barrier around the brain.
Thursday
A PCC case report presented a patient with chronic epilepsy who was started on lacosamide and promptly developed paranoid delusions and hallucinations with no other conflicting symptoms. Another case study followed a patient with Huntington’s disease who needed urgent care for neuropsychiatric symptoms that worsened with his disease progression. Plus, Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, indicates his possible prolonged grief disorder following the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
Friday
Last week we published a commentary on the global burden of schizophrenia. This brief breaks down the numbers presented in the report on the economic and personal costs of schizophrenia.
Looking Ahead
A case series reviewing the safety of three female patients who received intranasal esketamine as part of their therapy for treatment resistant depression.
