Psychotic Depression Carlat Reports

Research Update

Structural Brain Changes After ECT for Depression

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Thyroid and Mental Illness

Topics: ECT | Neuroscience in Psychiatry | Psychotic Depression | Treatment-Resistant Depression

REVIEW OF: Gryglewski G et al, Brain Stimul 2021;14(4):927–937 STUDY TYPE: Meta-analysis Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has high antidepressant potency, boasting an impressive response rate of up to 80%. However, despite decades of research, we still have little understanding of its mechanism of action. Although several structural brain changes hav

In Brief

In Brief: What Causes Affective Psychosis?

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Metabolism and Mental Health

Topics: Psychosis | Psychotic Depression

Psychotic depression and bipolar disorder are sometimes lumped together as the “affective psychoses.” Among the mood disorders, these two have a stronger biological basis, although environmental causes still contribute to their risk. In a meta-analysis of 68 studies (Rodriguez V et al, Schizophr Bull 2021 Jan 22:sbaa197), 6 environmental risk fact

Research Update

Are SSRIs Associated With Increased Rates of Violence?

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Stopping Psych Meds Part 1

REVIEW OF: Lagerberg et al, Eur Neuropsychopharm 2020;26:1–9 TYPE OF STUDY: Analysis of Swedish national registries Soon after the introduction of SSRIs in 1988, case reports began to emerge suggesting that they might trigger violence in a small subset of patients. At the time, such reports were mostly dismissed and attributed to the fact that p

Clinical Update

Modern Challenges of Delusional Disorder

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, When to Use Lithium

Topics: Antipsychotics | Delusional Disorder | Pimozide | Psychosis | Psychotic Depression

While positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions are among the more treatment-responsive symptoms of schizophrenia, the treatment of delusional disorder often proves much more vexing. Delusional disorder is often a diagnosis of exclusion requiring that you rule out other causes like schizophrenia, primary mood disorder, or substance-induced ps

Research Update

An Answer for Psychotic Depression

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Inflammation and Depression

REVIEW OF: Flint AJ et al, JAMA 2019;322(7):622–631 TYPE OF STUDY: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial Psychotic features in depression indicate a more severe form of the disease, with a higher risk of hospitalization and double the rate of disability compared with non-psychotic depression. A combination of an antipsychotic and an antidepressant is