Second-Generation Antipsychotics Do Not Raise Risk of Major Malformations

Topics: Antipsychotics | Psychopharmacology Tips | Research Update

Subject: (Cohen L et al, JAMA Psychiatry 2016;173:263–270) Short Description: Second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) are used for a variety of psychiatric conditions, but even though they’ve been around for 20 years, we know little about what impact they have on the developing fetus. These medications are widely considered to be relatively safe

Antipsychotic Polypharmacy: Helpful or Harmful?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Bipolar Disorder

Prescribing two antipsychotics to a single patient is a common practice in clinical settings. One study estimated that up to 50% of psychiatric inpatients are receiving antipsychotic polypharmacy (Faries D et al, BMC Psychiatry;5:26). Increasingly, we are being scolded for this practice. A variety of guidelines discourage polypharmacy, and recent studie

Cariprazine (Vraylar): A drug for negative symptoms? Don’t be positive.

Topics: Antipsychotics | News of Note | Psychopharmacology Tips

Foster Care and Child Psychiatry: A Primer

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry | Free Articles | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Psychotherapy | PTSD

In this issue of CCPR we focus on the treatment of children in foster care systems. Nearly one in three of these children have significant psychiatric problems during their time in foster care—especially those related to trauma and neglect that brought them into the system (McMillen JC et al, J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2005;44(1):88–95). Rec

Managing Psychotropic Treatment with Foster Children

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips | PTSD

Janey is 5. She hits and she bites. Her third foster mother, Sandy, is thinking it’s too much to handle. I am her new psychopharmacologist. Janey arrives with a thick chart documenting in utero substance exposure, early neglect, many placements, and symptoms consistent with many DSM-5 diagnoses, including reactive attachment disorder, generalized anxi

The New Three-Month Version of Injectable Paliperidone: Should You Use It?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Psychopharmacology Tips | Research Updates

Should You Be Monitoring Serum Levels of Atypical Antipsychotics in Kids?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Research Updates

Saphris Approved for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder—What Do the Data Show?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry | News of Note

Latuda: An Evaluation of Its Usefulness

Topics: Antipsychotics

With nine other atypical antipsychotics already on the market (some of which are available as generics), did we really need another one? Given the pesky side effects of antipsychotics, maybe we did. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about Latuda (lurasidone) in an effort to figure out how to incorporate it into our clinical toolbox. Latud

The New Emphasis on Community Functioning in Schizophrenia

Topics: Antipsychotics

FDA Issues Alert for Geodon

Topics: Antipsychotics | News of Note

The New FDA-Approved EEG Test for ADHD: Should You Order It?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry | Free Articles

Over the decades, finding a truly useful objective diagnostic test in psychiatry has proven both elusive and frustrating. The latest candidate is a device called the NEBA system, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July of 2013. NEBA stands for Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid for ADHD, and the FDA has allowed

Table - Antipsychotic Medications Used for Children

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry

Table: Antipsychotic Medications Used for Children (Click here to view as a full-size PDF.)  

Table - Possible Side Effects of Antipsychotic Medications

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry

Table: Possible Side Effects of Antipsychotic Medications (Click here to view as a full-size PDF.)  

Using Antipsychotics Judiciously in Children

Topics: Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry

Dealing With Side Effects of SSRIs

Topics: Antidepressants | Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used as the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents, but they are associated with significant adverse effects (AEs). Studies have shown that up to 50% of kids experience side effects from SSRIs, depending on the sample size and the type of study. The most c

Metabolic and Extrapyramidal Effects of Antipsychotics

Topics: Antidepressants | Antipsychotics | Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips

Table 1: Risks of Side Effects of Antipsychotics in Children and Adolescents Click here to open pdf

Glutamate’s Role in Schizophrenia

Topics: Antipsychotics

When a patient or caregiver asks you about the biology of schizophrenia or to explain how antipsychotics work, your answer most likely involves some discussion of dopamine. After all, all existing antipsychotic drugs are dopamine blockers, and agents that promote dopamine release, such as amphetamines, can cause psychotic symptoms. However, there’s

Lower Antipsychotic Use Linked to Better Outcomes

Topics: Antipsychotics | Research Updates

APA Warns Against Common Uses of Antipsychotics

Topics: Antipsychotics | News of Note