Topics: Dementia | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychotherapy

As director of psychiatry at Hebrew SeniorLife for 18 years, Dr. Metzger has witnessed a number of changes in how we manage agitation and other elements of BPSD. In this article, he outlines current thinking about such symptoms, as well as the latest techniques—both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic—for managing them.

Topics: Dementia | Diagnostic Testing | Laboratory Testing in Psychiatry

There used to be this rule of thumb that you don’t need to worry about people who are worried about their memory; you need to worry about people who aren’t worried. And that might be true for people with dementia, where there is often a loss of insight. But if you want to pick up memory problems at the earlier, mild cognitive impairment stage, do an evaluation when someone is worried about memory loss.

Topics: Research Update

We’ve all seen the ads from companies such as Lumosity implying that fun, computer-based learning games will help your mind work better. Such methods are called computerized cognitive training (CCT), and past systematic reviews have had weaknesses, such as combining CCT with other interventions or including studies that were not randomized controlled trials. These researchers performed a systematic review that was more rigorous.

Topics: Research Update

Do antidepressants cause bipolar II patients to switch from depression to hypomania? It’s a controversial question, and you’ll find academic psychiatrists who will argue passionately that antidepressants are either safe or dangerous in these patients. The latest study appears to endorse the “safe” camp.

Topics: CME Post-Test

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only. By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 1 CME credit.