We ran across a recent article that promised a “blood test for depression” and thought how strange it was that this article was being republished in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. After all we wrote about a blood test for depression based on an article that appeared in translational psychiatry just a few months ago. Imagine my surprise when I …
MAOI Diet Update
MAOI diet information on the Internet can be very confusing for someone just starting one of these antidepressant medications. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are medications that inhibit the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. breaks down the three chemicals in the brain which may be deficient in people with depression: norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. Almost all antidepressants in use today work, …
Stimulants and Geriatric Depression
Stimulants and Geriatric Depression May be Underused. A well designed study showed that adding methylphenidate (Ritalin and others) to citalopram (Celexa) improve the likelihood of complete remission from depression in older patients. In general older depressed patients are more likely to have some cognitive impairment and are less likely to respond to antidepressants. A number of reports suggests that adding stimulants to antidepressants can …
Methylfolate and Depression
Depression and Methylfolate The role of methylfolate in the treatment of patients with depression has once again been highlighted by an article published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2016. After successfully treating treatment resistant depression in a patient deficient in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tetrahydrobiopterin (necessary for biosynthesis of several neurotransmitters) with sapropterin (a synthetic form of tetrahydrobiopterin’s active isomer), …
Mediterranean Diet Anti Aging Effect
The Mediterranean Diet appears to have an anti aging effect in a just published study. The study, in the December 2014 edition of the British Medical Journal, found that the Mediterranean Diet was associated with telomere length, a biological marker of aging. Telomeres are DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that protect the chromosomes from damage and allow healthy cell …
Bipolar Movie – Here One Day
Conversation with Kathy Leichter, Director of Here One Day We had the absolute pleasure of talking with director Kathy Leichter about her experience of making her movie, Here One Day. Here One Day is an intimate look into her mother’s experience with Bipolar Disorder and as well as her own, as her daughter. Question: How did you come up with …
Telemedicine Interest
A survey by mental health systems reviewer Software Advice revealed that 75% of patients who have never used telemedicine said they were interested in trying such services in place of an in-person medical visit, as reported by this article on iHealthBeat.org. Of those 75% of patients, 39% identified as being “extremely interested” or “very interested.” 71% of the overall respondents …
Vyvanse for Binge Eating Disorder
This past week the FDA approved the first drug for Binge-Eating Disorder. “Binge eating can cause serious health problems and difficulties with work, home, and social life,” said FDA Division of Psychiatry Products Director Mitchell Mathis, M.D. “The approval of Vyvanse provides physicians and patients with an effective option to help curb episodes of binge eating.” The drug was reviewed under the FDA’s …
NMDA Receptor and Depression
A new drug that stimulates the glycine site of NMDA receptors had rapid antidepressant effects in the just released results of a phase II clinical trial. The drug substantially reduced depression symptoms, with no severe side effects. The NMDA receptor has 2 sites that are involved in its activation. One site is stimulated by glutamate or aspartate. Another site is stimulated by glycine. For …
Chronic Pain and Depression
Chronic pain and depression often co-occur in the relationship between the two experiences can be hard to separate. An important article just published in Biological Psychiatry (Barthas, et al) identifies 2 sets of circuits in the brain for processing pain: One is located in the anterior cingulate cortex and seems to be involved in the emotional experience of pain, the …