Is Working Too Hard Really Bad for Your Heart?
Cardiology Summary and Comment
A collaborative meta-analysis suggests that the effect is real but smaller than previously thought.
By Beat J. Meyer, MD
September 19, 2012
Covering:
Kivimäki M et al., Lancet 2012 Sep 14
Late-Life Brain Effects of Childhood Adversity
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
The likelihood of cerebral infarcts in old age was greater with higher levels of emotional neglect in childhood.
By Barbara Geller, MD
September 19, 2012
Covering:
Wilson RS et al., Neurology 2012 Oct 9; 79:1534
Barrett KM and Meschia JF., Neurology 2012 Oct 9; 79:1524
The Bright Side of the Short 5-HTTLPR Allele
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
This serotonin receptor polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to positive events, not simply with vulnerability to negative environments, at least in white populations.
By Joel Yager, MD
September 17, 2012
Covering:
van IJzendoorn MH et al., Transl Psychiatry 2012 Aug 7; 2:e147
How to Enhance Maternal Responsiveness in Pregnant Women with Depression
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
A small pilot study suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy is helpful.
By Deborah Cowley, MD
September 10, 2012
Covering:
Pearson RM et al., J Affect Disord 2012 Aug 9
Bringing Depression in Reproductive-Aged Women out of the Shadows
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Among the 10% of pregnant and nonpregnant women who reported symptoms of a past-year major depressive episode, the disorder was undiagnosed in almost 60%.
Vitamin D Supplementation Does Not Reduce Depression Risk in Older Women
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
Results from a very large, population-based, randomized study
By Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
August 30, 2012
Covering:
Bertone-Johnson ER et al., Am J Epidemiol 2012 Jul 1; 176:1
Insomnia and Depression: Chicken and Egg?
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
A prospective study shows that each can lead to the other.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 30, 2012
Covering:
Sivertsen B et al., Psychosom Med 2012 Aug 9
Restless Leg Syndrome Increases the Risk for Clinical Depression in Women
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
A 6-year prospective study clarifies the links between the two disorders.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 30, 2012
Covering:
Li Y et al., Am J Epidemiol 2012 Aug 15; 176:279
Unemployment May Increase Suicide Risk
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
Unemployment is, quite literally, lethal for some individuals.
Epilepsy and Risk for Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidality
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Confirmation of a two-way relationship
Psychological Distress Is Associated with Mortality Risk
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Risk for death increased in a dose-response manner.
Creatine Augmentation of SSRIs for Depression
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
In depressed women, adding creatine to an SSRI seems to enhance the medication's antidepressant effects.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 20, 2012
Covering:
Lyoo IK et al., Am J Psychiatry 2012 Aug 1
Damage from Maltreatment May Be Hidden
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Well-functioning teens with childhood maltreatment histories show white-matter changes that are associated with later psychopathology.
By Barbara Geller, MD
August 20, 2012
Covering:
Huang H et al., Neuropsychopharmacology 2012 Aug 1
Divergent Neural Development in Institutionalized Children
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
But foster care seems to ameliorate some of these effects.
By Barbara Geller, MD
August 20, 2012
Covering:
Sheridan MA et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012 Aug 7; 109:12927
Another Epigenetic Mechanism for Fear Extinction
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
In an animal study, researchers examine a way to improve exposure therapy for patients with post-traumatic stress or anxiety disorders.
By Steven Dubovsky, MD
August 20, 2012
Covering:
Stafford JM et al., Biol Psychiatry 2012 Jul 1; 72:25
CBT for PTSD in the Real World: The Glass Is Still Mostly Empty
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
A novel behavioral PTSD treatment shows very limited effects in patients with comorbid substance abuse, and another treatment has, as expected, benefits for less severely ill patients.
By Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
August 14, 2012
Covering:
Mills KL et al., JAMA 2012 Aug 15; 308:690
Monson CM et al., JAMA 2012 Aug 15; 308:700
Najavits LM., JAMA 2012 Aug 15; 308:714
Mental Health Sequelae of Childhood Physical Abuse
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
A national epidemiologic study shows dose–response relationships between physical abuse in childhood and increased risks for a wide range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 13, 2012
Covering:
Sugaya L et al., J Trauma Stress 2012 Aug; 25:384
Family-to-Family Intervention Yields Sustained Benefits
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Gains endured for at least 6 months after completion of a peer-taught program offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 13, 2012
Covering:
Lucksted A et al., Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012 Jul 16
Medical Risk Factors for Depression in the Elderly
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
In a large prospective study, obesity, but not hypertension, was associated with an elevated risk for depression in patients 65 and older.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 13, 2012
Covering:
Godin O et al., Am J Epidemiol 2012 Aug 1; 176:204
Prophylactic Treatment for Depression with Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C
Gastroenterology Summary and Comment
Among HCV-infected adults without previous psychiatric disease, prophylactic antidepressant use significantly decreased the incidence and severity of interferon-associated depression.
By Atif Zaman, MD, MPH
August 10, 2012
Covering:
Schaefer M et al., Ann Intern Med 2012 Jul 17; 157:94
Escitalopram Prevents Interferon-α–Associated Depression
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In patients with hepatitis C infections and without histories of depression, escitalopram was safe and effective.
MAO Inhibitors Can Be Continued During Surgery
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
No perioperative, adverse, hemodynamic effects were found in users of tranylcypromine or moclobemide in this well-designed study.
By Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
August 6, 2012
Covering:
van Haelst IMM et al., J Clin Psychiatry 2012 Jul 10
Artificial Light at Night Provokes Depression
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
In an animal study, artificial light produces depression-like behavioral and neurobiological features that are reversed by an antagonist of tumor necrosis factor.
By Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
August 6, 2012
Covering:
Bedrosian TA et al., Mol Psychiatry 2012 Jul 24
Recognizing and Managing Postpartum Depression in the Trenches
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Practice-based intervention was associated with reduction in depressive symptoms in women as late as 1 year postpartum.
Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Children and Adolescents
In a community sample, 8% of third-graders, 4% of sixth-graders, and 13% of ninth-graders reported a history of nonsuicidal self-injury.
