Editor, Carlat Psychiatry Report.
Assist Prof, NYU & WFU medical schools.
Never received pharma funding.
Posting daily research to learn, discuss, debate.
New study pulls together 198 symptoms of early psychosis from 14 rating scales
Surprisingly, first line treatment for early "prodromal"
#psychosis
= psychotherapy/omega-3, not antipsychotics. Learn more:
Aripiprazole (Abilify) has a warning about causing impulsive hedonic activity like
#gambling
, and new meta-analysis adds fellow dopamine D3 agonists cariprazine (Vraylar) and brexpiprazole (Rexulti) to that list:
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
All mood stabilizers lowered mortality risk in
#bipolardisorder
, but the benefit was greatest with lithium - against suicide and other deaths - in new study of 25K followed over 5 years.
#Lithium
reduced suicidality 49% in this new analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials:
Caveat: Suicide was not the primary outcome in those studies
Don't avoid lithium to prevent suicidal overdose; the data suggests the opposite.
#suicideprevention
Think your patient won’t stick with clozapine or lithium? Those 2 meds had the highest rate of adherence in this super-sized study of
#bipolar
. Full recovery outweighs side effects.
#psychiatry
#lithium
#bipolardisorder
#Lithium
lowered mortality in
#bipolar
, from suicide and other deaths, more than other mood stabilizers in this study of 25k followed for 5 years:
Join me
@APApsychiatric
May NYC, I'll present on lithium w/ R Post and J Rybakowski:
Hospitalization prevents suicide, but only if the patient made a suicide attempt within the past day, suggests a new big-data study from the VA:
Hospital care did not lower the
#suicide
risk for those with ideation only or attempts in the past 2-7 days
#WorldBipolarDay
reminds us why mania peaks in the Spring. Sudden increases in sunlight destabilizes mood. Darker parts of map have sharper spring spikes.
People raised in those "solar flux" regions also have a younger age of onset of
#bipolardisorder
:
New paper gathers updates on
#lithium
from past 7 years:
> Beat aripiprazole, valproate, quetiapine in mania
> Better prevention than valproate
> Better cognitive protection than quetiapine
> Safe/effective in child
#bipolar
More:
#Lithium
had same rate of chronic kidney disease as valproate and lower risk of acute kidney injury in 10 yr study of 10,946, as long as level <= 1.0:
A surprise? Well, valproate injures the kidneys in animal models.
#psychiatry
#bipolar
An update on treatment-resistant
#depression
in the elderly from
@NEJM
Look for vascular causes, rule out psychosis/bipolar, consider psychotherapy, ECT, TMS, add-on lithium, aripiprazole, ketamines. Chart has target doses for elderly.
Asians have more side effects to antidepressants.
On reason: 20-40% metabolize them slower in the liver.
Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) isn't metabolized there, which may explain why it was better tolerated than duloxetine (Cymbalta) in this large 2023 trial from China:
Catatonia guidelines released in 2023 recommend
> 1st Line: Benzos (lorazepam) or ECT
> 2nd: Amantadine or memantine
Also careful with
#antipsychotics
. They can worsen catatonia (prefer atypicals with low D2 dopamine blockade)
#psychiatry
#schizophrenia
First long-term study confirms safety and efficacy of high-dose SSRIs in
#OCD
:
Doses went up to 650mg sertraline, 80mg escitalopram, 120mg fluoxetine, 600mg fluvoxamine (21 months, retrospective, n=105)
#psychiatry
Among
#ADHD
treatments, amphetamines had a slightly greater risk of causing psychosis than methylphenidate, and atomoxetine (Strattera) had no risk in this new large study, confirming an earlier report from NEJM:
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
New study identifies
#depression
with excessive fatigue and insomnia as a more severe subtype, with more suicidality, social impairment, weight changes, and a predominant winter pattern:
#psychiatry
#sleep
#mentalhealth
Silexan (lavender extract approved for anxiety in Europe) is more effective than SSRIs in head-to-head trials & worked better for more severe
#anxiety
in new analysis of 5 RCTs:
Podcast:
How to use:
What works when SSRI
#antidepressants
fail in
#OCD
?
Review finds 12 augmentation options:
> Best efficacy: lamotrigine, memantine, aripiprazole.
> But my go-to is ondansetron 4mg, for its balance of efficacy/tolerability:
#psychiatry
#ocdawareness
Bupropion is no more likely to cause anxiety than an SSRI. I argued that earlier:
And this study backs that up with rating scales from a large EMR databank:
ADHD meds associated with a 4% increased risk of heart disease per year, mainly hypertension/arterial dz (dose-dependent), from new case-controlled study of 278,027 people followed 14 yrs:
However, untreated
#ADHD
has a high mortality risk
The largest trial of amitriptyline in irritable bowel syndrome (
#IBS
) just published. Low doses of this antidepressant (10-30mg) were more effective than placebo and good tolerability (based on drop out rates)
#psychiatry
#guthealth
#IBD
Mania is a common complication of corticosteroids, particularly in doses >40mg prednisone equivalent, finds new review
Most cases occurred in peopled without a psychiatric history, and steroid tapers can also trigger mood symptoms
#bipolar
#psychiatry
New metaanalysis of meds in
#bulimia
finds few winners. Topiramate looks good, along with the FDA-approved fluoxetine (Prozac, 60mg)
Topiramate dose = 100-200mg, sometimes 600, start 25mg/d and raise slowly every 7 days)
#psychiatry
#eatingdisorders
High potency
#cannabis
doubled the risk of
#psychosis
in this large study of UK teens, while low-potency was safer:
But most of today's
#marijuana
is high-potency
More updates in Carlat
#Psychiatry
News
People w/
#schizophrenia
lived longer on clozapine vs other meds in large retrospective study from Brazil, building on many similar trials:
Confounders are possible, but clozapine brings fuller recovery, and better
#mentalhealth
usually = longer life.
Clinicians who followed CANMAT
#depression
guidelines had better outcomes in new large 6-year study:
Uncontrolled, so doesn't prove causation, but the CANMAT is free and full of useful pearls:
#Lithium
and IV
#ketamine
rose to top for both efficacy and tolerability in treatment-resistant
#depression
in new network metaanalysis of 22 trials, surpassing esketamine (Spravato) and aripiprazole (Abilify)
More updates:
Melancholic
#depression
= lower recovery with SSRI citalopram in new STAR*D analysis (27% vs 54%). Perhaps tricyclics work better for these features (low appetite, muscle slowing, non-reactive mood, guilty rumination) but this study did not test that
Treatment of
#ADHD
(with stimulants) was not linked to later stimulant misuse in a new large study of 11,066 teens followed for 5 years into early adulthood:
#psychiatry
#addiction
#mentalhealth
#Benzo
tapering guide open for comment 'til 7/19:
>Taper by 5-25% every 2-4wk
>Benzo risks: falls, car accidents, cognitive impairment, overdose
>Higher risk: older, pregnant, sub u d/o, or on
#opioid
>Covers diversion, threats to providers
#psychiatry
Don’t stop an
#antidepressant
within 3 months of recovery, and continue it at least 6 months to minimize risk of relapse, concludes analysis of 36 trials:
Confirms the findings of earlier studies, that at least 6 mth of
#depression
recovery is needed
ECT is more effective than TMS for psychotic depression, and in this study of 138 it had 2.5x higher response in general
#depression
, consistent with earlier metaanalyses
Crossover design (each patient got both treatments) has some pros/cons
Psychosis is common in
#Parkinsons
, but antipsychotics worsen the muscle stiffness. Review of 16 trials finds 2 antipsychotics are favorable:
1. FDA-approved pimavenserin (Nuplazid)
2. Clozapine
Quetiapine didn't worsen PD much, but also didn't work
Clonidine 4-times more effective than placebo at reducing tics (Tourette's) in new RCT of 127 children with
#ADHD
:
Clonidine treats ADHD & tics, while stimulants can worsen tics. They used patch (1-2 mg/wk), sometimes better tolerated than oral clonidine.
4 antipsychotics stand out for combined dopamine-serotonin effects:
Aripiprazole, cariprazine, brexpiprazole, lumateperone
Of these, the first 3 improved negative symptoms of
#schizophrenia
in new analysis of 20 trials:
I'd add clozapine to list
First case of ketamine tolerance from Mayo Clinic:
To stay well, the patient required increasing frequency of
#ketamine
, until it no longer worked after 5 years.
#depression
#psychiatry
New review of
#cannabis
and
#depression
concludes “
#Marijuana
can be helpful in elevating mood and [lowering anxiety] initially, but it is subsequently followed by a rise in depressive symptoms, which manifest as mental distress and frustration.”
For schizophrenia with violence/aggression, a new algorithm proposes moving clozapine up, and starting with olanzapine in that population (I'd also suggest
#clozapine
for suicidal features).
From Mayo Clinic team:
What do you think?
#psychiatry
An update on
#cannabis
and
#anxiety
. THC raises anxiety, especially in new users.
#CBD
was once thought to lower anxiety, but newer studies suggest it doesn’t do much at all:
Both are in
#marijuana
, and THC levels are on the rise in modern weed
Beta-blockers are often used for
#anxiety
, but only 10 small controlled trials of 179 patients exist, and they came up negative in new metaanalysis (mainly propranolol, also atenolol, pindolol):
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
The
#ADHD
med atomoxetine (Straterra) improved sleep apnea when paired with the antimuscarinic aro-oxybutynin in new RCT
If FDA approved, this combo pill would be the first medication to directly treat the nocturnal symptoms of
#sleepapnea
#cpap
Nearly half of patients with treatment resistant
#depression
take long-term benzos, and this large observational study finds reasons to question that practice:
Benzo use associated with low physical activity and worse cognition
#psychiatry
Just approved: KarXT (Cobenfy), the first non-antipsychotic for
#schizophrenia
, a combination of:
> Xanomeline: muscarinic agonist (M4/M1)
> Trospium: reduces cholinergic side effects in the body (a muscarinic-antagonist that doesn't enter brain)
How it works? Indirectly
4 steps to explain
#borderline
diagnosis (dx) from new study
>Explain diagnostic process
>Assess thoroughly
>Explore how the features are active in everyday life
>Link dx to evidence-based treatments/hope
More in podcast
New challenge to
#ketamine
's benefits. Stanford MDs gave the drug to depressed patients while they were unconscious and undergoing surgery
Ketamine was no different than a saline placebo, and both gave a big boost to depression, raising questions...
What works better after 2 failed
#antidepressants
?
1. Switch to a tricyclic
2. Change to rTMS
Answer:
#2
was 6-times more likely to bring
#depression
to remission in this new RCT of n=89:
More updates in Carlat
#Psychiatry
News:
What works for acute
#anxiety
(unrelated to a specific disorder)? 1st, therapy.
New analysis finds only 3 effective meds:
> Benzos
> Quetiapine (Seroquel)
> Pregabalin (Lyrica)
All have risks that caution against their use. Safest? I'd say pregabalin.
Pearls for treating late-life
#depression
in new review. Go to full dose (but start low/slow), use psychotherapy, avoid benzo/anticholinergics/antihistaminergics, and consider aripiprazole augmentation, ketamine, or ECT if no response:
First guidelines on catatonia released, recommending benzos (lorazepam) or ECT 1st line; amantadine or memantine 2nd; and judicious use of
#antipsychotics
which can worsen the condition (they prefer atypicals with low D2 dopamine blockade)
#psychiatry
No meaningful benefit w/ aripiprazole+SSRI vs. SSRI alone as a FIRST-LINE intervention in
#depression
in new trial of 70
Cognition improved faster in the combo group on THINC-it test, but was the same by 2 mths; depression/anxiety the same throughout.
What predicts conversion from unipolar
#Depression
to
#BipolarDisorder
?
Family history (of BP), psych hospitalizations, psychotic symptoms, and teen onset, concludes 13-yr study of entire Swedish population:
#psychiatry
#bipolar
Art: E Kelly
New review identified medical disorders to rule-out before diagnosing
#ADHD
, including sleep apnea, diabetes, thyroid disorder, absence seizures, concussion, inflammatory bowel disease, iron deficiency, and anemia:
Choosing that first antidepressant is largely guided by side effects. But there are many ways to personalize antidepressant augmentation and this piece is full of rare pearls, like nimodipine for vascular
#depression
.
From Drs Anbarasan Deepti and David Liebers
Only one med rose to top for sleep in
#PTSD
in new analysis of 99 trials: Prazosin.
“Evidence is scarce and indicates lack of efficacy for SSRIs, mirtazapine, z-drugs and
#benzodiazepines
, which are widely used in daily practice.”
#psychiatry
#trauma
#Psychotherapy
has side effects, and talking openly about that risk strengthens the therapeutic alliance, concludes this RCT:
Learn more in our interview w/ study author Michael Linden
#mentalhealth
Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) equaled
#ECT
for
#depression
in new RCT of 73 patients, with fewer cognitive side effects:
MST is not TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation). Both use magnets, but MST (like ECT) works by inducing seizures with the magnet.
I've never heard a psychiatrist insist, or even suggest, what is in the post below.
#Depression
is not intrinsic. External stressors are a big part of the cause even in genetic models.
Depression is not incurable. Therapy, lifestyle, and medications offer dozens of effective
Why is this such a surprise? Because for 35 years, psychiatry has insisted all "depression" arises from an intrinsic, incurable defect in the individual, not in something that can be changed or overcome. And millions have bought into this destructive presumption of inadequacy.
Tricyclics are the most effective antidepressants for
#panic
disorder in this new Cochrane analysis, particularly desipramine:
Learn how to use tricyclics in our podcast:
Art: Implosion by Cotards Chamber
#anxiety
#Psilocybin
was no better at treating
#depression
than an SSRI
#antidepressant
in a large trial, but did this
#psychedelic
have more psychological benefits?
Not according to this analysis of personality changes in that landmark trial:
Industry funding was common in DSM-5 (60% of US contributors) and most of it went undisclosed because
@APApsychiatric
did not require disclosure of research funding, concludes new study from
@BMJ_latest
:
#psychiatry
Esketamine's remission rates 1.5x greater than quetiapine's in large
@NEJM
trial of treatment resist
#depression
32 wks, n=676, randomized, single blind, no placebo, industry sponsored, both used as augmentation after >= 2 failed
#antidepressant
trials
27 years after its release, we learn about a new use for paroxetine (Paxil): erythema of rosacea. It improved multiple outcomes in this well designed, 12 week randomized controlled trial of 97.
#psychiatry
#clinicaltrials
#dermatology
Remarkable study created criteria for 3 types of "At-Risk"
#bipolardisorder
. After a decade of follow-up, 1 in 3 at-risk patients converted to full bipolar compared to none of the control patients:
#psychiatry
#depression
Estrogen protects against
#schizophrenia
, delaying its onset in women, but does an estrogen patch augment antipsychotics?
"Yes," concludes new meta-analysis in women with schizophrenia:
Orthosomnia is "obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep fueled by an unhealthy fixation on data from sleep-tracking devices... leading to counterproductive behaviors that paradoxically impair sleep."
Proposed 2017, new study:
#insomnia
#psychiatry
#neurology
Remarkable study created criteria for 3 types of "At-Risk"
#bipolardisorder
. After a decade of follow-up, 1 in 3 at-risk patients converted to full bipolar compared to none of the control patients:
#psychiatry
#depression
I use to think bupropion did not work for meth/amphetamine use disorder, but this new analysis of 8 RCTs has me reconsidering this antidepressant
Benefits were modest, and better with longer term treatment
#addiction
#sobriety
#mentalhealth
#psychiatry
Lithium raises neutrophils, but can it reverse neutropenia on clozapine? New review suggests it's worth trying, and finds no evidence that
#lithium
simply "masks" the problem, preventing it from being detected:
Complicated issue, in need of more data
Predictors of conversion to bipolar:
1. Earlier onset
#depression
2. Frequent depressions
3. Cyclothymia
4. Family history
#bipolar
5. Substance use, unemployment, suicide attempts
From large study. 7% converted over 12 yr (0.5%/yr), most to BP-II:
63% of people with
#depression
respond to pramipexole, concludes this metaanalysis in bipolar & unipolar disorder:
Good safety at 6 months, nausea and somnolence the main side effects.
How to use it in
#psychiatry
:
#Esketamine
worked on day
#1
, but was no better than placebo after a month in this large, randomized, industry-sponsored trial in treatment resistant
#depression
from China.
Surprising? Several unpublished trials showed a similar fade.
/Finally a study looks at high dose stimulants in
#ADHD
. No additional benefit with high-dose amphetamines, and the small benefit for high dose methylphenidate was outweighed by its risks
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
Silexan is a European med with a large effect in
#anxiety
(GAD), confirmed by this metaanalysis of 1,213 subjects:
This lavender extract is over-the-counter as "CalmAid" in the US, learn how to use it
How much does placebo account for
#ketamine
and
#esketamine
benefits? 72%, from new analysis:
Similar to placebo contribution for antidepressants (62-82%).
Meds make a real difference, but the power of the placebo is welcome news for the human spirit.
What works when clozapine fails in
#schizophrenia
? Not ECT in this new randomized trial of 40 patients:
An earlier RCT was also negative, dampening the uncontrolled hopes of observational findings. ECT is a clearer choice for catatonia and psychotic dep
#Esketamine
was no better than placebo after a month of treatment in new, large, randomized trial in treatment resistant depression in China, though it worked
@24
hours. Surprising? Well, an earlier metaanalysis arrived at a similar conclusion.
Stroke causes depression, but
#depression
also raises the risk of
#stroke
, about 1.5 times, finds this case-control study of 26,877:
Interesting, but the association may be due to other risk factors that are shared by both illnesses
#neurology
Pairing atomoxetine (
#ADHD
med) with a sleep dose (50mg) of trazodone improved sleep apnea in small study
Builds on other work atomoxetine, which improves upper airway muscle tone and is being developed as a combo pill with aro-oxybutynin for
#sleepapnea
Exercise treated
#depression
with an impressive effect size (0.9; effectively treating 1 of 2 by NNT) in this metaanalysis of 41 trials:
Best evidence for supervised and group
#exercise
#mentalhealth
#psychiatry
Breakthrough for migraine and
#depression
: Venlafaxine (Effexor) worked just as well as the more established treatment nortriptyline at reducing migraine frequency/intensity in this large RCT:
(and with fewer side effects)
#psychiatry
#neurology
Last month I posted a large trial where omega-3 prevented psychosis in vulnerable children. Now an analysis of 21 earlier studies backs that up:
Reduction is small (7-16%); greater as the studies go longer.
How to use omega-3:
Atomoxetine (Strattera) reaches its peak benefit in childhood
#ADHD
at a dose of 1.4 mg/kg, according to new analysis of 12 RCT:
Caution: it can reach 10x higher levels in poor CYP2D6 metabolizers, causing severe fatigue.
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
#Asthma
improved when
#depression
was treated with an SSRI antidepressant (escitalopram or citalopram) in this new analysis of 3 randomized trials
#mentalhealth
Another study finds esketamine prevents postpartum
#depression
when used as Cesarian anesthesia, this time in women with no mental disorders (rates of PPD lowered: 18.5% vs 5.2%)
One hypothesis: esketamine lowers pain levels after delivery.