April Agenda

A Rainbow In the Storm: Managing Mood Disorders Across the Spectrum

All Sessions Will Be Held in Pacific Time (PT)

Psychopharmacology continues to advance, yet its terminology remains outdated and inconsistent, contributing to stigma, suboptimal prescribing, and reduced patient adherence. The first part of this half-day program will critically examine how traditional classifications such as “antipsychotics,” “antidepressants,” and “mood stabilizers” misrepresent the broad therapeutic utility of these medications, leading to the underutilization of serotonin-dopamine antagonists/partial agonists (SDA-PAs) in mood disorders. We will explore alternative, neuroscience-driven nomenclature systems and review the clinical evidence supporting medications across these categories. In the second half of the program, we will focus on depression with mixed features (DMX)—a prevalent yet frequently overlooked condition. We will discuss the diagnostic criteria and challenges posed by DMX, the risks of inappropriate treatment with traditional antidepressants, and the role of mechanistically targeted interventions. By bridging the gap between neuroscience and clinical practice, this program will empower clinicians to make more informed treatment decisions, reduce stigma, and enhance patient outcomes in mood disorders.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Will Never Hurt Me? “Antipsychotics” in the Treatment of Mood Disorders

Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC

A precise understanding of psychotropic nomenclature is essential for optimizing treatment selection and improving patient adherence in mood disorders. In this presentation, Dr. Roger McIntyre will examine how traditional classifications—such as “antidepressants,” “antipsychotics,” and “mood stabilizers”—can contribute to stigma, misprescribing, and reluctance to use effective treatments. He will introduce Neuroscience-Based Nomenclature (NbN) as a framework for classifying medications based on their mechanisms of action rather than historical indications. Additionally, he will explore the evidence base for serotonin-dopamine antagonists/partial agonists (SDA-PAs) in bipolar depression, the role of long-acting injectable (LAI) formulations in mood disorder management, and strategies for addressing clinician and patient barriers to their adoption.

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Industry Session^†: The Patient Journey Through Bipolar II Depression

Jonathan Meyer, MD

Sponsored by Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.

9:00 am – 9:05 am

Break

9:05 am – 9:35 am

Poster Session^†: More information to come

Bring Your “A” Game: Screening For and Treating Depression With Mixed Features

Manpreet K. Singh, MD, MS

A nuanced understanding of depression with mixed features (DMX) is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. In this presentation, Dr. Manpreet Singh will explore the clinical presentation, course, and impact of DMX, emphasizing the need to move beyond the strict unipolar–bipolar framework. She will discuss the “5 A’s” (anxiety, agitation, anger/irritability, attentional disturbance, and anhedonia) as key indicators of mixed features and will highlight differences between DSM-5 and research-based diagnostic criteria (RBDC) in identifying DMX.

10:50 am - 11:15 am

Live Panel Q&A

Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC and Manpreet K. Singh, MD, MS

^†The content of all non-CME/CE events (Industry Symposia, Disease State Sessions, and Poster Sessions) and the views expressed therein are those of the presenting entity and not of NEI. These events are not part of the scientific program and do not provide CME/CE credit. By opening a non-CME/CE event, the attendee opts in to receive follow-up information from the commercial sponsor.

Program Faculty

Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC

Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Chairman and Executive Director, Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
Director and Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Chicago, IL, USA
Clinical Professor, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, University of California School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, USA
Professor and Nanshan Scholar, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Adjunct Professor, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
Visiting Professor, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC, is currently a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto and Head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Dr. McIntyre is also Executive Director of the Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. McIntyre was named by Thomson Reuters in 2014 and 2015, as one of “The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds”. This distinction is given by publishing the largest number of articles that rank among those most frequently cited by researchers globally in 21 broad fields of science and social science during the previous decade.

Dr. McIntyre is involved in multiple research endeavors which primarily aim to characterize the association between mood disorders, notably cognitive function and medical comorbidity. His works broadly aims to characterize the underlying causes of cognitive impairment in individuals with mood disorders and their impact on workplace functioning. This body of work has provided a platform for identifying novel molecular targets to treat and prevent mood disorders and accompanying cognitive impairment.

Dr. McIntyre is extensively involved in medical education. He is a highly sought-after speaker at both national and international meetings. He has received several teaching awards from the University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry and has been a recipient of the joint Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) / Council of Psychiatric Continuing Education Award for the Most Outstanding Continuing Education Activity in Psychiatry in Canada.

Dr. McIntyre is a contributor to the “Florida Medicaid Drug Therapy Management Program for Behavioral Health: Guidelines for the treatment of adults with Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder”. Dr. McIntyre is also the co-chair of the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Task Force on the Treatment of Comorbidity in Adults with Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder and as well a contributor to the “CANMAT Guidelines for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders and Bipolar Disorders”. Dr. McIntyre has published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and has edited and/or co-edited several textbooks on mood disorders.

Dr. McIntyre completed his medical degree at Dalhousie University. He received his Psychiatry residency training and Fellowship in Psychiatric Pharmacology at the University of Toronto.

Manpreet K. Singh, MD, MS

Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA

Dr. Manpreet K. Singh is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and leads a program aimed to accelerate understanding and treatment in youth with or at high risk for developing lifelong mood disorders.

Dr. Singh earned her MD at Michigan State University and her MS at University of Michigan. She completed her combined residency training in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. After two years of T32 postdoctoral training at Stanford's Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, she joined the faculty in 2009.

Dr. Singh leads a multidisciplinary team that evaluates and treats youth with a spectrum of mood disorders as young as age 2 and well into their 20s. Her NIMH and industry funded studies examine mechanisms underlying mood disorders and apply cutting edge strategies to directly modulate the brain using transcranial magnetic stimulation and real time neurofeedback. She is also investigating the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies, such as family focused psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation, to reduce mood symptoms and family stress. All these areas of research aim to elucidate core mechanisms underlying mood disorders and how treatment early in life can pave the path to more adaptive outcomes.

In her spare time, Dr. Singh enjoys traveling and hiking with her husband and three children, and avidly teaches Indian classical music.