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The Carlat Psychiatry Report

When to Use Lithium (September) | 2020

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CME Post-Test - When to Use Lithium, TCPR, September 2020

September 3, 2020

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers. By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 1 CME credit. Read More

Highlights From This Issue

September 3, 2020

The coronavirus can penetrate the brain, causing delirium, psychosis, and persistent cognitive problems in patients with COVID-19.Lithium has antiviral effects, but its role in COVID-19 is undetermined. 1 in 3 patients with bipolar disorder are excellent lithium responders.Delusional disorder requires more than medication. Antipsychotics have limited efficacy here, and pimozide... Read More

How COVID-19 Affects the Brain

September 3, 2020

Paul Riordan, MD.

Pandemics create a long list of psychosocial stressors, but COVID-19 also has direct effects on the CNS. Neuropsychiatric syndromes can develop after the respiratory illness resolves. Paul Riordan reviews the cardinal symptoms to look for after a COVID infection. Read More

Who Should Get Lithium?

September 3, 2020

Janusz Rybakowski, MD, PhD

Some patients respond so well to lithium that they rarely need other interventions. Janusz Rybakowski sums up what we know about the optimal lithium responder, how to use this underutilized medication, and what lithium’s antiviral properties mean in the era of COVID-19. Read More

Modern Challenges of Delusional Disorder

September 3, 2020

Joseph Pierre, MD.

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. Read More

Two Augmentation Strategies Compared in Bipolar I

September 3, 2020

Richard Moldawsky, MD

Carbamazepine or valproic acid? Both have been used to augment lithium for decades, but which one works best? A new trial tests them head-to-head. Read More

Confidentiality in a Time of COVID

September 3, 2020

On July 13, 2020, SAMHSA modernized the law to allow disclosure without patient consent during emergencies that result from a natural disaster. COVID-19 is included alongside hurricanes and floods in the list, though the opioid crisis is not. Read More