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Brain Surgery Might Ease Tough-to-Treat OCD

Posted 17 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 17 – Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder manage their symptoms through talk therapy and medication. But for some, severe OCD can take over their lives. A few eventually turn to brain surgery, and a new study shows how they fared. The study included 63 adult patients who underwent "stereotactic anterior cingulotomy" at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1989 to 2010, with long-term data available for 59 of the cases. "Half these patients had a very significant improvement in their symptoms – more than 35 percent improvement in the OCD scale that we use," said Dr. Sameer Sheth, chief resident in the department of neurosurgery at the hospital. "These are patients who are completely refractory (unresponsive) to medical or behavioral therapy and have gone for years, if not decades, completely incapacitated," he added. Patients who responded "are often still ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Atypical Antipsychotics Appear to Be Effective For Only Few Off-Label Uses

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

CHICAGO—A review of previous studies suggests that even though atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for off-label conditions such as behavioral symptoms of dementia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, these medications are effective for only a few off-label conditions, and that the benefits and harms of these medications for these uses vary, according to an article in the September 28 issue of JAMA. "Atypical antipsychotic medications are approved for marketing and labeling by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression under drug-specific circumstances. The use of atypical antipsychotic medications is rapidly increasing in the United States, with 1 study estimating an increase from 6.2 million to 14.3 million treatment visits between 1995 and 2008. The estimated use of these drugs for off-label i ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Seroquel, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Abilify, Geodon, Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel XR, Saphris, Risperidone, Dementia, Latuda, Quetiapine, Clozapine, Invega

Mixed Results Seen With 'Off-Label' Use of Antipsychotics

Posted 27 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 27 – Even though off-label use of atypical antipsychotic drugs is common, a new review finds that such use is only effective in a few conditions and can be harmful in others. Also known as "second-generation" antipsychotics, these drugs are approved in the United States for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. But off-label use – or use not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – of these drugs to treat a number of other conditions is growing. Researchers analyzed findings from 393 clinical studies to gauge effectiveness and uncover harmful side effects when Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Geodon, Saphris, Fanapt and Invega were used outside of FDA-approved indications. Off-label use included treatment for behavioral symptoms in dementia, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Seroquel, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Abilify, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Geodon, Zyprexa, Schizophrenia, Risperdal, Seroquel XR, Saphris, Risperidone

Adding Psychotherapy to Meds Helps Kids With OCD

Posted 20 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 20 – Adding cognitive behavioral therapy to medication seems to help children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder, new research shows. The findings, published in the Sept. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirm previous research on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). "[If] a child has been taking one of the [medications for OCD] and has a partial response, we can get a much better response when we add on CBT," said Lawrence Newman, a psychologist with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, who was not involved with the study. Treatment with the class of antidepressants known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors is the mainstay of treatment for OCD, but relief isn't always complete. "There's plenty of evidence suggesting that medication works," said study author Martin E. Franklin, an associate ... Read more

Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR, Fluvoxamine, Sarafem

When Protecting Baby Becomes an Obsession

Posted 8 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 8 – Many new mothers feel a bit anxious about caring for their infant. But sometimes that concern develops into an obsession over all the things that can go wrong. Experts call that condition postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder. It can drive women to take extreme steps to prevent their fears from coming true, such as endlessly washing the infant to stave off germs to the point where the baby develops sores, or refusing to hold the baby out of fear of dropping him. Although postpartum depression gets far more attention, postpartum OCD can also be harmful to mother and child, said Kiara Timpano, an assistant psychology professor at University of Miami in Florida. "It's a very normal part of parenting to want to try to protect and keep your children safe," Timpano said. "What happens with OCD is that natural vigilance is turned up way too high. Not only do moms with ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

City Living Tied to More Anxiety, Mood Disorders

Posted 22 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, June 22 – People who are born and raised in cities have a greater lifetime risk for anxiety and mood disorders due to the impact that city living appears to have on two brain regions that regulate emotion and stress, a new international study indicates. The findings may lead to new ways to improve the quality of life for city dwellers, according to the researchers. Previous studies found that urban residents have a 21 percent increased risk for anxiety disorders and a 39 percent increased risk for mood disorders. They also have nearly twice the rate of schizophrenia compared to people who don't live in cities, said study co-author Jens Pruessner, of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal. He and his colleagues in Germany used functional MRI to study the brain activity of healthy volunteers from urban and rural areas. They found that city dwellers had ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Anxiety and Stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder

U.S. Sees Slowdown in Spending on Mental Health

Posted 5 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 4 – The amount of money spent on psychiatric drugs in the United States continues to grow but at a much slower rate than in previous years, a new federal government study has found. From 2004 to 2005, spending on psychiatric drugs rose 5.6 percent, compared with an increase of 27.3 percent between 1999 and 2000, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The agency's analysis of health-care costs from 1986 to 2005, the latest year comparable data is available, also found that spending on behavioral health accounts for a decreasing portion of overall health-care costs. Of the $1.85 trillion spent on all health-care services in the United States in 2005, behavioral health spending accounted for 7.3 percent ($135 billion). During the 20 years analyzed in the study, spending for mental health and substance abuse health care grew more slowly ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety and Stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Mania, Schizophrenia, Paranoid Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder

For Many, Stigma of Mental Illness Lingers

Posted 24 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 24 – Persistent efforts to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness haven't succeeded as well as hoped, suggesting that new strategies might be necessary. For decades, a number of organizations have been trying to persuade the public that mental illnesses such as depression, alcohol dependence and schizophrenia are neurobiological disorders, not just people behaving badly, hoping that harsh judgments would subside. Even drug ads unintentionally bolstered the view of the mentally ill as having "lifelong" or permanent problems, with their emphasis on science-focused explanations of the brain mechanisms behind some mental illness, claims a study appearing in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. This study compared people's responses to vignettes describing individuals with mental illness in surveys conducted a decade apart, in 1996 and 2006. ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety and Stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Mania, Schizophrenia, Paranoid Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Postpartum Depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Immune System Troubles Could Spark Behavior Woes

Posted 28 May 2010 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 27 – In the first scientific illustration of exactly how some psychiatric illnesses might be linked to an immune system gone awry, researchers report they cured mice of an obsessive-compulsive condition known as "hair-pulling disorder" by tweaking the rodents' immune systems. Although scientists have noticed a link between the immune system and psychiatric illnesses, this is the first evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship, said the authors of a study appearing in the May 28 issue of the journal Cell. The "cure" in this case was a bone marrow transplant, which replaced a defective gene with a normal one. The excitement lies in the fact that this could open the way to new treatments for different mental disorders, although bone marrow transplants, which can be life-threatening in themselves, are not a likely candidate, at least not at this point. "There are some drugs ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Trichotillomania

Compulsive Dogs Yield Clues to Human OCD, Autism

Posted 19 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 19 – A study of obsessive-compulsive Dobermans might someday help explain similar repetitive behaviors in humans. Scientists have identified a region on chromosome 7 in obsessive-compulsive dogs that may correlate to the human version of the psychiatric disorder. The gene is the same in humans, said Dr. Nicholas Dodman, first author of the study, which appears as a letter to the editor in the January issue of Nature Molecular Psychiatry. In humans it resides on chromosome 18, the same chromosome which holds all of the psychiatric genes identified thus far, he said. "It's certainly true we have basically the same gene in us, so it's an intriguing lead, but there's a lot more work that has to be done to see if this particular finding is relevant to human health and obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD]," added Dr. Michael Slifer, an assistant professor of human genetics and ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Psych Drugs Gaining Widespread Acceptance

Posted 16 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, July 31 – A growing number of Americans now have a positive opinion on psychiatric medications, a new study contends. About five out of six people surveyed felt psychiatric medications could help people control psychiatric symptoms, but many also expected the medications could help people deal with day-to-day stresses, help them feel better about themselves and make things easier with family and friends. "People's attitudes regarding psychiatric medications became more favorable between 1998 and 2006," said study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, an associate professor in the department of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Mojtabai expressed concern, however, that people's attitudes were increasingly positive, even in situations where there might not be a proven benefit to the drugs. "My hope would be for people to be more discriminating in ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Lexapro, Anxiety and Stress, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil

For OCD, Not Helping Might Be Best

Posted 6 Jul 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 6 – Instinctively easing a child's anxiety could be counterproductive if girl or boy suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, say University of Florida researchers. Helping children with OCD complete the rituals associated with the condition – such as reassuring compulsive washers that their hands are clean – might ease the immediate situation, they say, but this actually might strengthen the child's desire to repeat the obsessive behavior later. "Parents do that because that is what a parent whose child doesn't have OCD would do," the study's lead author, Lisa Merlo, an assistant professor of psychiatry, said in a university news release. "If your child is upset, you try to comfort them. But what we know is, for patients with OCD, if they get an accommodation, that reinforces the OCD to them." "It's validating the OCD in the kid's mind," she said, and that's what you ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Implanted Device Approved for Severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Posted 19 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 19 – Medtronic Inc's Reclaim DBS Therapy device has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to deliver electrical brain stimulation to people with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the agency said Thursday in a news release. The device is approved for people in whom medication and psychotherapy haven't worked, the agency said. OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring negative thoughts or the uncontrolled desire to perform repetitive behaviors such as hand washing or cleaning. The Reclaim system uses a small electrical generator to block abnormal nerve signals to the brain. The battery-powered device is implanted near the abdomen or collar bone and is connected to electrodes implanted in the brain. The product was granted a so-called humanitarian device exemption to treat a condition affecting fewer than 4,000 people annually in the ... Read more

Related support groups: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Beta Blocker Blocks Feelings of Bad Memories

Posted 15 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, Feb. 15 – Imagine being able to decouple bad memories from the fear and anxiety they produce with just a pill. That's the promise of a new report from Dutch researchers published in the Feb. 15 advance online issue of Nature Neuroscience. Merel Kindt and colleagues used a beta blocker called propranolol (Inderal) to erase, at least in the short-term, the fear response induced by a laboratory-induced painful memory in humans. Such findings could one day help individuals suffering from pathological anxiety disorders from the debilitating physiological effects of their fears. Yet many questions remain, experts note, such as how permanent the effect is, and whether it can affect traumatic memories that may be decades old. "I think it's a very interesting and exciting study," said Jane Taylor, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University, who studies memory reconsolidation in rats. ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Inderal

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