Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders
Conference Coverage
Clozapine underutilized in treatment-resistant schizophrenia
The drug remains the only antipsychotic approved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, yet with side effects and blood testing concerns,...
News from the FDA/CDC
FDA puts REMS requirements on hold to ensure continuity of care
The FDA said it will temporarily not object if inpatient pharmacies dispense a days’ supply of clozapine that aligns with a patient’s monitoring...
From the Journals
Patients with schizophrenia may be twice as likely to develop dementia
There is increasing evidence that multiple psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses are associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
From the Journals
Menopause an independent risk factor for schizophrenia relapse
“Women with schizophrenia who are older than 45 are a vulnerable group for relapse, and higher doses of antipsychotics are not the answer,” said...
From the Journals
Impaired communication predicts coercive inpatient psychiatric care
Patients with poor communication abilities were at increased risk for involuntary inpatient admission and coercive measures.
Conference Coverage
‘Amazing’ phase 3 results for novel schizophrenia combo drug
This agent is “really revolutionary in the field. It’s a non-dopamine compound which helps for schizophrenia, so we’re all very optimistic about...
From the Journals
‘Disturbing’ lack of follow-up care after psychiatric crises
Patients who had received both primary care and mental health care before an acute event had the highest odds of receiving follow-up.
From the Journals
Gut microbiota disruption a driver of aggression in schizophrenia?
Peripheral cytokines “could cross the blood-brain barrier, thus precipitating changes in mood and behavior through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal...
Clinical Neuroscience
Faulty fences: Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in schizophrenia
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an essential barrier of closely spaced cells that regulates entry into the CNS.
Feature
Toward a new open-door model for psychiatric wards
Use of open wards constitutes a paradigm shift in hospitalization toward a person-centered psychiatry.
Hard Talk
Schizophrenia and postmodernism: A philosophical exercise in treatment
A psychiatrist who understands and appreciates postmodernism can show a patient why at some level we cannot refute all delusions.