Schizophrenia - Articles - Page 6

EXPERT Q&A

The Schizophrenia-OCD Overlap

September 28, 2021

Michael Poyurovsky, MD

Ma’ale HaCarmel Mental Health Center, Tirat Carmel, Israel; Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Dr. Poyurovsky has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

OCD and schizophrenia often overlap, but treatment of this comorbidity is risky terrain. Dr. Poyurovsky explains when antidepressants should be avoided and details which antipsychotics are more likely to exacerbate OCD and which ones are more likely to help it.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Omega-3s and Metabolic Risks in Schizophrenia

September 28, 2021

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW, and Chris Aiken, MD.

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW, and Chris Aiken, MD. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Omega-3s are helpful for negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and this study suggests they may have metabolic benefits as well.

New Combination Treatment Mitigates Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain

July 14, 2021

Susie Morris, MD.

Susie Morris, MD. Dr. Morris has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

When olanzapine is combined with an opioid-antagonist, patients gain less weight.

Combination Treatment for Schizophrenia

April 12, 2021

T. Scott Stroup, MD, MPH

T. Scott Stroup, MD, MPH
Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NY. Dr. Stroup has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Dr. T. Scott Stroup, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, reveals surprising findings from his research on the use of adjunctive medications for schizophrenia.

Are SSRIs Associated With Increased Rates of Violence?

February 3, 2021

Michael Posternak, MD.

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

SSRIs are often used to reduce irritability, but questions about they can cause violence have loomed over these antidepressants since the early 1990’s. This new study, with 700,000 patients followed over 7 years, suggests they can.

How to Switch Antipsychotics

February 3, 2021

Peter Smith, PsyD.

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

Should you stop the old antipsychotic and start the new? Or gradually cross-taper them? This new meta-analysis compared three titration strategies to find the best way to switch from one antipsychotic to another in schizophrenia.

Modern Challenges of Delusional Disorder

September 3, 2020

Joseph Pierre, MD.

Joseph Pierre, MD. Chief, Hospital Psychiatry Division at the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center. Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. Dr. Pierre has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Delusional disorder may be in the psychotic chapter, but it doesn’t respond to antipsychotics like we’d expect. Joseph Pierre reviews how to use them, which ones to avoid, and how to enhance your therapeutic relationship with this population.

Tips on Choosing an Antipsychotic for Schizophrenia

August 26, 2020

Which antipsychotics should we consider selecting as the first-line and second-line treatments, and what should we base this decision on? Dr. Aziz addresses this in a past article from The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Here’s some of his advice:Process: Tolerability instead of efficacy should be considered when selecting a first-line treatment.

A Potentially Lethal Side Effect You Probably Never Heard Of

May 7, 2020

Chris Aiken, MD.

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.

The FDA recently raised alerts about a potentially fatal side effect on clozapine that’s causing more fatalities than neutropenia. It’s constipation, and the problem extends to a few other psychotropics as well. In this article, a three step, evidence-based algorithm for managing it.

How to Choose an Antipsychotic in Schizophrenia

March 30, 2020

Rehan Aziz, MD.

Rehan Aziz, MD. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Aziz has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Atypical antipsychotics are more alike than different, but a few stand out for tolerability, while others may have an edge for negative symptoms or for overall efficacy.