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- 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.
- Weight Gain From Antipsychotics Traced to Appetite-Regulating Enzyme, Receptor
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February 28, 2007
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Science Update
A likely mechanism by which antipsychotic medications trigger weight gain — with its attendant risks of heart disease, diabetes and treatment non-adherence — has been unraveled in mice by NIMH-funded scientists.
- Older Medication May Be More Cost-Effective for Some Patients with Schizophrenia
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December 1, 2006
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Press Release
A new study analyzing the economic implications of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) concludes that the older (first generation) antipsychotic medication perphenazine was less expensive and no less effective than the newer (second generation) medications used in the trial during initial treatment, suggesting that older antipsychotics still have a role in treating schizophrenia.
- New NIMH Research Strives to Understand How Antidepressants May Be Associated with Suicidal Thoughts and Actions
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November 13, 2006
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Science Update
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding five new research projects that will shed light on antidepressant medications, notably selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and their association with suicidal thoughts and actions.
- Mouse Model May Reveal Anxiety Gene, Marker for Antidepressant Failure
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November 9, 2006
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Science Update
Studies of a new mouse model suggest that a specific gene variation plays a role in the development of anxiety disorders and in resistance to common medications for anxiety and depression.
- U.S. Youth Suicide Rates Lower in Counties with High SSRI Use
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November 8, 2006
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Science Update
For children ages five to 14, suicide rates from 1996 to 1998 were lower in areas of the country with higher rates of antidepressant prescriptions, according to an NIMH-funded study published in the November 2006 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
