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- Studies Refine Understanding of Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
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September 1, 2007
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Science Update
Two new studies provide additional details on best practices for treating people with bipolar disorder, a sometimes debilitating illness marked by severe mood swings between depression and mania. The two studies are part of the NIMH-funded Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD).
- Faster-Acting Antidepressants Closer to Becoming a Reality
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July 24, 2007
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Press Release
A new study has revealed more about how the medication ketamine, when used experimentally for depression, relieves symptoms of the disorder in hours instead of the weeks or months it takes for current antidepressants to work.
- Improvement Following ADHD Treatment Sustained in Most Children
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July 20, 2007
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Press Release
Most children treated in a variety of ways for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed sustained improvement after three years in a major follow-up study funded by NIMH.
- New Study Will Examine Effects of Excluding Anti-anxiety Medications in Medicare Part D Coverage
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June 22, 2007
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Science Update
A new research grant funded by NIMH will examine the costs and benefits of excluding a commonly prescribed class of anti-anxiety medications—benzodiazepines—from coverage in the new Medicare Part D program.
- Gene Variants Linked to Suicidal Thoughts in Some Men Starting Antidepressant Treatment
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June 7, 2007
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Science Update
Some men who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors after they first start taking antidepressant medications may be genetically predisposed to do so, according to the latest results from the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study.
- Antipsychotic Medications for Schizophrenia on Equal Footing in Improving Patients’ Thinking Skills
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June 4, 2007
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Science Update
Patients with schizophrenia taking antipsychotic medications experience a small improvement in thinking and reasoning skills (neurocognition), but no one medication appears to be better than the others in improving these skills during the first two crucial months of treatment, according to the latest results from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE).
- Benefits of Antidepressants May Outweigh Risks for Kids
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April 17, 2007
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Science Update
The benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006. The study, partially funded by NIMH, was published in the April 18, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
- HIV Treatment May Help Reduce Severity of Mental Impairment in Children with HIV Infection
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March 7, 2007
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Science Update
During the first few years of life, children born with HIV infection are most susceptible to central nervous system (CNS) disease, and can develop impaired cognitive, language, motor and behavioral functioning.
- Global Use of ADHD Medications Rises Dramatically
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March 6, 2007
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Science Update
Global use of medications that treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nearly tripled from 1993 to 2003, and spending on the drugs rose nine-fold, according to a study co-funded by NIMH and published in the March/April 2007 issue of Health Affairs.
- New Details in Schizophrenia Treatment Trial Emerge
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March 1, 2007
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Press Release
Two new studies from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) provide more insights into comparing treatment options, and to what extent antipsychotic medications help people with schizophrenia learn social, interpersonal and community living skills.
