This Month in Psychopharmacology

Bright Light Therapy Boosts Therapeutic Response in Bipolar Depression
March 16, 2023

For over three decades bright light therapy has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder, unipolar depression, and bipolar depression, with a growing body of literature to support its efficacy. A recent study sought to determine if bright light therapy accelerated and increased the therapeutic response to antidepressants after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment in patients with bipolar depression. ..

Sleep Complaints in MDD Flag Risk for Other Psychiatric Disorders
March 10, 2023

Sleep disturbances have been associated with many different psychiatric disorders. In a recent study, the incidence of psychiatric disorders following sleep complaints in adults with major depressive episode (MDE) was examined. A large, nationally representative 3-year prospective survey was administered...

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Epigenetic Association With MDMA-Assisted Therapy Treatment Response For Severe PTSD
March 6, 2023

ost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has historically been difficult to effectively treat. However, there is tremendous promise with the renewed study of psychedelic (e.g., MDMA)-assisted therapy. Phase 2 and 3 trials have shown a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy compared to placebo-assisted psychotherapy...

Genetic Risk for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
March 3, 2023

The question of whether psychiatric conditions arise from genetic or environmental factors is slightly outdated as we now know that psychiatric conditions occur because of the interaction between genetics and environment. However, a study by Kendler and colleagues looking at a population register based in Sweden covering data from 1960 to 1995 suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder may be more impacted by genetics than developmental rearing...

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Blood Test Predicts Which People With Amyloid Are Likely to Decline Cognitively
March 1, 2023

The pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) begins with a prolonged phase of beta-amyloid accumulation without symptoms. The duration of this phase varies widely depending on the individual. A recent prospective population-based study examined data from 2 prospective longitudinal cohorts...

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
February 27, 2023

Less than half of individuals with an eating disorder seek treatment. As clinicians, we need to help raise awareness, fight stigma, and empower ourselves to provide these patients the support they need...

APA Releases Practice Guideline for Treating Patients With Eating Disorders
February 13, 2023

The practice guideline for the treatment of patients with eating disorders has been updated by the American Psychiatric Association since the publication of the last version in 2006. The burden of eating disorders is pervasive, leading to psychosocial impairment...

Sleep Abnormalities in Different Clinical Stages of Psychosis
February 12, 2023

Sleep disturbances among those who experience psychotic episodes have been well documented throughout the history of psychiatry. Recently, several studies investigating sleep-specific EEG oscillations and spindles in individuals with psychosis reported decreases in various spindle parameters suggesting that sleep disturbances contribute to psychotic episodes...

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The Future of Psychopharmacology
February 9, 2023

It is an incredible time in terms of the development of new psychopharmacological agents with novel mechanisms of action. In this article, leading experts in the field of psychopharmacology discuss the most promising medications in Phase II and III clinical trials that are being investigated for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety, substance use disorders, and dementia...

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Borderline Personality Disorder Tied to Longer Time to MDD Remission
February 7, 2023

A recent meta-analysis suggests that there is a strong correlation between depression severity and a poorer long-term prognosis in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. However, there is a lack of research comparing the severity of major depressive episodes..

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