ECT in Severe Adolescent Mood ­Disorders

Topics: children and adolescents | Electroconvulsive therapy | Research Update

REVIEW OF: Ghaziuddin N et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2020;30(4):235–243 ECT is the gold standard for treatment of severe unipolar depression in adults, with remission rates of 70%–90% in randomized trials. In bipolar depression, response rates are 50%–75%. A 2020 retrospective chart study reviewed ECT’s utility in adolescents with s

Antipsychotic Dosing: How High?

Topics: Antipsychotics | Free Articles | Research Update

Review of: Leucht S et al, Am J Psychiatry 2020;177(4):342–353 (published correction appears in Am J Psychiatry 2020;177(3):272) How high should we go when dosing antipsychotics in schizophrenia? Surprisingly little is known about optimal doses. During drug development, dosing is estimated from animal studies, but more detailed studies in humans ar

Prescribing Patterns for Children With Anxiety Disorders

Topics: adolescents | Anxiety | Child Psychiatry | children | Medication | prescribing patterns | Research Update | teens | treatment pediatric

Review of: Bushnell GA et al, J Clin Psychiatry 2018;79(1):pii:16m11415 Anxiety disorders are some of the most common conditions we encounter in children and adolescents, and clinicians employ a variety of medications to treat them. This study examined prescribing patterns for the initial treatment of pediatric anxiety. Researchers analyzed a larg

Steroid-Induced Psychosis in the ­Pediatric Population

Topics: adolescents | Child Psychiatry | children | Free Articles | pediatric | Psychosis | Research Update | steroids | teens

Review of: Hodgins GE et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2018;28(5):354–359 Childhood psychosis is a rare disorder, and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Recently, clinicians at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine reported a case of steroid-induced psychosis in a pediatric patient. In the case report, a 12-year-old Haitian girl wa

Risk of Psychosis With Stimulants in ADHD Patients

Topics: ADHD | adolescents | amphetamine | Child Psychiatry | children | Free Articles | Medication | methylphenidate | pediatric | Psychosis | Research Update | stimulant | teens

Review of: Moran LV et al, N Engl J Med 2019;380(12):1128–1138 In 2007, the FDA required stimulant manufacturers to warn of possible psychosis with stimulants. But what is the real incidence? This study set out to find and discern if there is a difference between methylphenidate and amphetamine classes of medications. Drawing from two large comm

Melatonin for Insomnia in Patients With Autism

Topics: Autism | Child Psychiatry | Research Update | Sleep Disorders

Review of: Maras A et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2018;28(10):699–710 Treating sleep problems in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is tricky at best. One promising treatment is pediatric prolonged-release melatonin ­(PedPRM) sold under the name Slenyto. In 2017, a randomized controlled trial (funded by the manufacturer) assigned 11

Update: Is Watching 13 Reasons Why Bad for Teens?

Topics: Bullying | Contagion | Media | Prevention | Research Update | Risk | Suicidality | Suicide | teens

Review of: Niederkrotenthaler T et al, JAMA Psychiatry 2019. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0922 Several studies have examined whether Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why is good or bad for teens. Results have been mixed. In the CCPR March/April 2019 issue, we reported a study finding that most suicidal ideation decreased after watching the first season of

Oral vs Extended-Release Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder

Topics: Addiction Treatment | Naltrexone | Opioid Use Disorder | Research Update

Review of: Sullivan MA et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017;174(5):459–467 Extended-release (XR) naltrexone (Vivitrol) is FDA approved for opioid use disorder and has shown efficacy in several trials. It works best for patients who have already successfully detoxed from opioids and who are highly motivated to abstain. But what about oral naltrexone? While i

Does Extended-Release Naltrexone Worsen Psychiatric Symptoms?

Topics: Naltrexone | Opioids | Research Update

Review of: Latif Z et al, JAMA Psychiatry 2019;76(2):127–134 Extended-release (XR) naltrexone (Vivitrol) is an injectable version of naltrexone that lasts for 4 weeks and is FDA approved for opioid use disorder (OUD). Although effective, there is some concern that XR naltrexone may cause or worsen psychiatric symptoms because of its opioid blockade

Exposure Therapy Efficacious for PTSD Co-Occurring With Alcohol Use Disorder

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | Alcoholism | Co-occurring disorders | Dual diagnosis | Prolonged exposure | Psychotherapy | PTSD | Research | Research Update | Substance Use | Substance use disorders

Review of: Norman SB et al, Efficacy 2019;76(8):791–799 Patients with co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) have worse outcomes compared to patients with either diagnosis alone. Integrated approaches, in which both diagnoses are simultaneously addressed, are viewed as best practice. Providers, however, are

Varenicline and Bupropion: Soaring Again With EAGLES?

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Bupropion | Chantix | Co-occurring disorders | Dual diagnosis | FDA Warnings | Medication | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update | Side Effects | Smoking Cessation | Smoking Cessation Agents | Substance Use | Substance use disorders | Suicidality | Suicide | Tobacco | Varenicline | Wellbutrin

Review of: Anthenelli RM et al, Lancet 2016;387(10037):2507–2520 Varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and others) are effective treatments for tobacco use disorder, but their use (and sales) took a big hit in 2009 when the FDA slapped both with black box warnings linking them to psychiatric complications, including suicidal ideation. Although

The COMBINE Study: A Core Paper in the Treatment of AUD

Topics: Acamprosate | Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | Alcoholism | Medication | Naltrexone | Pharmacology | Psychotherapy | Research | Research Update | Substance Use | Substance use disorders | Therapy during medication appointment | Therapy with Med Management

Review of: Anton RF et al, JAMA 2006;295(17):2003–2017 Conducted from 2001 to 2004 and published in 2006, the COMBINE study was the largest pharmacotherapy study that assessed the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Although there were significant data on the use of naltrexone and acamprosate (both had been FDA approved), widespread use had no

E-Cigarettes vs Nicotine Replacement for Smoking Cessation

Topics: Abstinence | E-Cigarettes | Research Update | smoking cessations | tobacco research

Review of: Hajek P et al, N Engl J Med 2019;380(7):629–637 E-cigarettes are increasingly popular, often touted as exposing users to fewer toxins than combustible cigarettes. Might they be useful for smoking cessation and abstinence? To answer this question, Hajek et al performed a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing e-cigarettes to ni

Amphetamines and Topiramate for Cocaine Use Disorder

Topics: Cocaine | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update

Review of: Levin FR et al, Drug Alcohol Depend 2020;206:107700 In 2017, an estimated 2.2 million Americans used cocaine, with about 966,000 of them meeting criteria for cocaine use disorder (CUD) (SAMHSA, 2018). Unfortunately, there are still no FDA-approved treatments for CUD. Amphetamines increase synaptic dopamine transmission and may therefore re

Does Baclofen Titrated to High Doses Reduce Alcohol Use?

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update

Review of: Rigal L et al, Addiction 2019 Dec 13 [Epub ahead of print] Baclofen is a muscle relaxant and anti-spasmodic that has been used off-label for treating alcohol use disorder for many years. The research base is mixed, with studies showing inconsistent efficacy and tolerability at different doses. In this latest randomized, placebo-controlled

Gabapentin for Alcohol Use Disorder, Redux

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | gabapentin | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update

Review of: Anton RF et al, JAMA Intern Med 2020;180(5):1–9 Gabapentin has had mixed results in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD), but it is clearly effective in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). In this study, researchers tested whether gabapentin might be effective specifically in treating adults with AUD who also had a

Gabapentin Enacarbil XR Efficacy Less Than Expected for AUD

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol | Alcohol use disorder | Alcoholism | Clinical practice | extended-release | Medication | Novel Medications | Pharmacology | Psychopharmacology | Research Update

Review of: Falk DE et al, Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019;43(1):158–169 Gabapentin enacarbil extended-release (GE-XR) (Horizant) is an extended-release version of gabapentin. GE-XR is a prodrug, meaning that once ingested it is metabolized into gabapentin. It is currently approved for treatment of postherpetic neuralgia and restless legs syndrome. It di

Can Buprenorphine Improve PTSD Symptoms?

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Antidepressants | Buprenorphine | Co-occurring disorders | Comorbidity | Dual diagnosis | Medication | Opioid Use Disorder | Pharmacology | PTSD | Research Update | SSRIs

Review of: Lake EP et al, Am J Addict 2019;28(2):86–91 For many years, the mainstay of treatment for PTSD has been the SSRI class of medications, but many of our patients still suffer crippling symptoms despite optimal antidepressant medication dosing. PTSD is often accompanied by opioid misuse, sometimes in an effort to self-treat the hyperarousal

TMS: Deeper is not Better

Topics: Depression | Depressive Disorder | Pharmaceutical Industry | Research Update | rTMS | TMS | Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation | Treatment-Resistant Depression

REVIEW OF: Filipcic I et al, J Psychiatr Res 2019;114:113–119 TYPE OF STUDY: Randomized single-blind controlled trial Seven transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) devices are FDA approved for depression, but only one—the Brainsway—is distinctly different from the others. Brainsway uses a patented H1 coil that penetrates deeper into the cortex t

Study Ignites Controversy Over Trazodone and Suicide

Topics: Hypnotics | Research Update | Suicidality | Trazodone

Review of: Lavigne JE et al, J Gen Intern Med 2019;34(8):1554–1563 Study Type: Observational comparative safety study Trazodone is one of the most widely prescribed sleep aids in the US despite lacking FDA approval for insomnia. But what if patients taking trazodone attempted suicide at a rate over 1.5 times that of those taking zolpidem (Ambien)? L