Psychosomatics - Articles - Page 3

CLINICAL Q&A

The Modafinils in Bipolar Depression

June 10, 2020

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Aiken has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Provigil and Nuvigil, the modafinils, may not work for full depressive episodes, but they do something else in bipolar disorder that’s important to patients. This article explores their cognitive effects, as well as their potential to cause addiction and mania.

EXPERT Q&A

Inflammatory Biomarkers in Depression

February 10, 2020

Andrew H. Miller, MD

Andrew H. Miller, MD

William P. Timmie Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, GA Dr. Miller has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Andrew Miller, Vice Chair of Psychiatry Research at Emory University, translates two decades research on inflammation and depression into practical terms, including a low-cost biomarker that may guide antidepressant selection.

Highlights From This Issue

February 10, 2020

Quick hints on what you’ll find in this issue.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Primer: Physical Examination in Addiction Practice

November 22, 2019

Whether you are referring your patient for a physical or doing an initial one yourself, clinicians should be familiar with the basics of physical examination with a focus on knowing how to look for medical complications of addiction. This article walks you through a basic physical exam and what signs and symptoms to look for in patients with current or past substance use.

EXPERT Q&A

Effects of Drug Interactions

November 1, 2018

Neil Sandson, MD

Neil Sandson, MD.
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry at University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dr. Sandson has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

When it comes to computer alerts for drug interactions, the two issues to pay attention to are toxicity and loss of efficacy. Toxicity is the bigger concern, particularly if the drug has a “narrow therapeutic index,” where modest differences in the level can have dangerous effects.

Assessing and Treating Psychogenic Pain

May 1, 2018

Howard Schubiner, MD

Howard Schubiner, MD Director of the Mind Body Medicine Program at Providence Hospital, Southfield, MI. Coauthor of the book Unlearn Your Pain: A 28-Day Process to Reprogram Your Brain. Dr. Schubiner has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

All pain is real. It’s just a question of whether that pain is being triggered by a physical injury or by something else. Studies show that emotional injury activates the same areas of the brain as does physical injury.