Defining a Role for Nutrition in Managing Children With ADHD

Topics: ADHD | Child Psychiatry | Research Update

Review of: Lange KW et al, Curr Psychiatry Rep 2017;19(2):8. Parents of kids with ADHD often ask about the role of diet and nutrition in their child’s symptoms, and research has uncovered some interesting possibilities. For example, there is some evidence that concentrations of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs, which includes omega-

Is Minocycline Effective When Added to Risperidone for Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder | Child Psychiatry | Research Update

Review of: Ghaleiha A et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2016;26(9): 784–791. The only medication treatments approved for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole, which are indicated specifically to manage irritability associated with ASD. There’s been some interest in minocycline, which is a second-

Do Prizes for Abstinence Increase Sobriety in People With Serious Mental Illness?

Topics: Research Update

Review of: McDonell MG et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017;174(4):370–377. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16050627. Although studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of contingency management (CM) for illicit drug use, there’s less evidence for treatment of alcoholism—in part because a standard breathalyzer has a short detection window of 12 hours, meani

MOXO-CPT: Short and Sweet, but Is It Useful?

Topics: ADHD | Research Update

Review of: Berger I et al, Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2017;32:81–93. Diagnosing ADHD continues to be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Having an “objective,” valid test for ADHD would be of value to clinicians and families alike. Continuous performance tests (CPT) are gaining popularity as a complement to clinical examination, rating scales

Can a One-Week Naltrexone Detox Reduce Outpatient Opioid Relapse Rates?

Topics: Addiction | Psychopharmacology | Research Update | Substance Abuse

Review of: Sullivan M et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017; Epub ahead of print. Study Type: Randomized, open-label, parallel-groups trial Naltrexone is an opioid blocker that is FDA-approved for the treatment of alcoholism. However, it is also effective off-label for treating opioid use disorder. The medication comes in two forms: an oral pill (brand name

Computer Games: Good for Cognitive Disorders?

Topics: Research Update

Review of: Hill N et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017;174(4):329–340. Study Type: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Can patients train their way to better cognition? 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

SSRIs and Bipolar Switching: Evidence of Safety

Topics: Research Update

REVIEW OF: Altshuler L et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017;174(3):266–276. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.15040558 STUDY TYPE: Randomized, double-blind, multi-site comparison 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 passionatel

Does CBT Improve Outcome in Buprenorphine Treatment?

Topics: Psychopharmacology | Psychotherapy | Research Update

Patients receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder are typically also referred for psychotherapy, either individual or group. However, several studies have failed to show that therapy improves outcomes in buprenorphine treatment program Review of: Moore B et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy improves treatment outcomes for prescription opioid us

Switching Antidepressants May Be No Better Than Staying the Course

Topics: Depressive Disorder | Practice Tools and Tips | Research Update

Review of: Bschor T, Kern H, Henssler J, Baethge C. Switching the antidepressant after nonresponse in adults with major depression: A systemic literature search and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 2016. doi:10.4088/JCP.16r10749. [Epub ahead of print] Study type: Meta-analysis Clinical trials have shown that the response rate of major depression t

CME Post-Test - Street Drugs, CATR, March/April 2017

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology | Psychotherapy | Research Update | Substance Abuse

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only (December 31, 2017). By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 2 CME credits. Click here to take your CME test. Note: All of the CME tests are available in the “My Account” section of the site when you are log

Cannabis and Psychosis: The Debate Continues

Topics: Research Update

Cannabis users seem to be at higher than normal risk to develop psychotic symptoms (see CATR, March 2015, “High Potency Cannabis Increases Risk of First Episode Psychosis”), but so far researchers haven’t solved the chicken-and-egg problem. Studies Reviewed: Schoeler T et al. Effects of continuation, frequency, and type of cannabis use on rela

N-acetylcysteine Shows Promise in Treatment of Co-Occurring PTSD and SUD

Topics: Research Update

Review of: Back SE et al. A double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot trial of N-acetylcysteine in veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. J Clin Psychiatry, dx.doi.org/10.4088/JCP.15m10239. Study type: Double-blind, ­randomized, controlled trial Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common psychiatri

Internet-Delivered CBT for Adolescents With OCD

Topics: Child Psychiatry | OCD | Research Update

Study Reviewed: Lenhard F et al. Therapist-guided, Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017;56(1):10–19. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2016.09.515 Study Type: Randomized controlled trial The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive di

Can a 10-Minute Intervention Improve Sleep in Children With ADHD?

Topics: ADHD | Child Psychiatry | Research Update

Study Reviewed: Peppers K et al. An intervention to promote sleep and reduce ADHD symptoms. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare 2016;30(6):43–48. Study Type: Open, uncontrolled clinical trial We know that kids with ADHD often have sleep issues, and that the stimulants we use to treat them can cause insomnia. What would happen if we focused our treat

Statins and SSRIs Together Lead to Better Outcomes in Depression

Topics: Depression | Research Update

Review of: Köhler O, Gasse C, Petersen L, et al. The effect of concomitant treatment with SSRIs and statins: a population-based study. American Journal of Psychiatry 2016;173(8):807–815. Study Type: Naturalistic cohort study Is depression a disorder of inflammation? This intriguing hypothesis has been floating around in the literature over the

E-Cigarette Use Increases Quit Rates in England

Topics: Research Update

Review of: Beard E, West R, Michie S, et al. Association between electronic cigarette use and changes in quit attempts, success of quit attempts, use of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, and use of stop smoking services in England: time series analysis of population trends. British Medical Journal 2016;354:i4645. STUDY TYPE: Time series analysis

Heavy Alcohol Use and History of Alcohol Dependence Lead to Cognitive Problems Later in Life

Topics: Research Update

Review of: Woods AJ, Porges EC, Bryant VE, et al. Current heavy alcohol consumption is associated with greater cognitive impairment in older adults. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2016; ahead of publication. STUDY TYPE: Quasi-experimental study There are a few truths when it comes to cognitive functioning and acute alcohol use. We

SSRIs May Work More Quickly in Pediatric OCD Than You Realize

Topics: Research Update

Review of: Varigonda A et al. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2016; ahead of publication. Study Type: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis The pharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for adults is pretty well worked out. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the

Metformin Use in Autistic Children Taking Atypical Antipsychotics

Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder | Research Update

Review of: Anagnostou E, Aman MG, Handen BL, et al. JAMA Psychiatry 2016;73:928–937. STUDY TYPE: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial Atypical antipsychotics are commonly used to reduce irritability and agitation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although effective, these medications lead to weight gain and

Efficacy of Quetiapine in PTSD

Topics: Psychopharmacology Tips | PTSD | Research Update

Review of: Villarreal G, Hamner MB, Cañive JM, et al. Efficacy of quetiapine monotherapy in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2016:ahead of publication. Study Type: Placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is arguably one of the most difficult psy