Vyvanse for Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in ADHD

Topics: Cognition | Side Effects | Vyvanse

REVIEW OF: Adler LA et al, J Clin Psychiatry 2021;82(4):20m13687 STUDY TYPE: Randomized placebo-controlled trial Patients with ADHD often also struggle with sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT). Characteristics of SCT include being prone to daydreaming, being easily bored, feeling “spacey” or lethargic, and not processing information quickly or accu

Cognitive Rehabilitation for Youth With Psychotic Disorders

Topics: Cognition | cognitive impact | Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT) | Psychosis

CCPR: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Dr. Ramsay: I’m a clinical psychologist at the University of Minnesota. I took a post-baccalaureate position in the psychiatry department at UC Davis, where I worked with Cam Carter’s lab studying the neural bases of aspects of cognitive disruption in people with psychotic disorders such as schizoph

Does Low to Moderate Alcohol Drinking Help or Hurt Cognition?

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | Cognition | Cognitive Decline | Comorbidity

Review of: Zhang R et al, JAMA Netw Open 2020;3(6):e207922 Is alcohol good or bad for cognition? The evidence is mixed. A new study brings additional clarity to this question by including a diverse patient population and by using longitudinal cognitive measurements of the subjects as opposed to cross-sectional evaluations at one time point. In an

Ask the Editor: Can Antipsychotics Enhance Cognition?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Cognition

Dear Dr. Aiken: The article on Trintellix and cognition (TCPR, February 2019) reminded me of another industry claim: that atypical antipsychotics improve cognition. Any truth to that one?   Dr. Aiken: I’ve also heard this whispering campaign, and there is reason to doubt it. The logic goes like this: Unlike the typical antipsychotics, atypi

Anticholinergic-Associated Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia

Topics: Cognition | Negative symptoms of schizophrenia | Schizophrenia | Side Effects

REVIEW OF: Joshi YB et al, Am J Psychiatry 2021;178(9):838–847 STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional study Schizophrenia is associated with impaired cognition. Medications with anticholinergic properties, including antipsychotics, benztropine (Cogentin), and antidepressants, can worsen this problem and may confer increased risk of dementia. What we don’t kn

In the News: Aducanumab (Aduhelm)

Topics: Aducanumab | Aduhelm | Cognition | Cognitive Decline | Complementary treatments | Dementia | Neurology | News of Note | Novel drug

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is devastating. There is no cure and existing treatments don’t slow or stop its progression. In June 2021, the FDA approved aducanumab (pronounced a-due-KAN-you-mab, brand name Aduhelm) for the treatment of AD. It’s the first new AD med since 2003 and is the only treatment that directly attacks a component of AD’s purpor

In Brief: Meds in the Fast Lane

Topics: Aducanumab | Cognition | Dementia | FDA | Neurology | Novel drug

In the last five years, more psychotropics have gained approval through the FDA’s expedited pathways than the slow and cautious routes we’ve grown used to. These “fast-track” and “breakthrough therapy” approvals allow drugs to enter the market on the basis of more efficient (ie, smaller) clinical trials. Instead of the typical 2000 participa

Keeping Up With Trintellix

Topics: Antidepressants | Cognition | Cognitive Decline | Negative Symptoms | Pharmacology | Pharmacology Tips | Psychopharmacology | Psychopharmacology Tips | Sexual Dysfunction | Sexual Side Effects | Trintellix | Vortioxetine

In a previous report (TCPR, Feb 2019), we summarized the data on cognitive effects associated with vortioxetine (Trintellix). We found that vortioxetine produced impressive results for cognition based on improvement on the Digital Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and gave Takeda Pharmaceuticals high marks for choosing to compare vortioxetine to duloxeti

Stimulants as Cognitive Enhancers

Topics: ADHD | Amphetamines | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Cognition | Cosmetic pharmacology | methylphenidate

Depending on your practice setting, you are likely to encounter adults who seek stimulants for various “non-medical” uses, from cognitive enhancement to recreational abuse to outright diversion. Abuse and diversion are easier to detect these days with the controlled substance databases available in most states. Abuse of stimulants is relative