February 2012
Agomelatine
Because agomelatine shows only modest benefits in the treatment of depression and requires liver function monitoring, there seems little reason to select it over other agents.
SSRIs Reduce the Risk of MI
Long-term use of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) seems to decrease the risk of myocardial infarction in patients with depression.
Antidepressant Risks in Older Patients
Elderly patients who take antidepressants have a greater risk of adverse events, such as falls, confusion, and agitation, than those who do not take antidepressants.
In Brief
Younger Age at Onset of Cannabis Use Associated with Early Symptoms of Psychosis; Medical Comorbidity High in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Varenicline and Suicide Risk
The use of varenicline (Chantix) for smoking cessation appears to present a substantial and statistically significant increase in risk of depression and suicidal or self-injurious behavior.
ADHD Drugs: Safe for Young Hearts?
A retrospective cohort study found no increased risk for serious cardiovascular events associated with medication treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
About Alan J. Gelenberg, M.D.
Alan J. Gelenberg, M.D. is Shively-Tan Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at Penn State University. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the field's most widely read peer-reviewed journal, and founding author of Biological Therapies in Psychiatry Newsletter. Dr. Gelenberg has been on the faculties of Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, M.I.T. and the University of Wisconsin, headed the University of Arizona's Department of Psychiatry, and was President and CEO of Healthcare Technology Systems of Madison, WI.
Dr. Gelenberg has been lead author of manuscripts in the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of the AMA and has published over 280 scientific articles, editorials, and book chapters. He chaired the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) workgroup on Treatment Guidelines for Major Depressive Disorder, 3rd edition, was on a joint APA/AMA taskforce on similar guidelines for primary care and a committee to advise the U.S. Centers for Disease Control about depression. He helped create the ASEX scale to monitor sexual side effects of antidepressants and electronic versions of suicide-assessment instruments.
Often a guest lecturer and visiting professor throughout the world, Dr. Gelenberg has sat on National Institute of Mental Health committees, is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA, former chair of its Committee on Research on Psychiatric Treatments, past President of the West Coast College of Biological Psychiatry, fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and member of the American College of Psychiatrists. He is on the Council of the Central Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society, Boards of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology and the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Professional Advisory Council of the Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Information Service, Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, and NCDEU Steering Committee. He chairs the Data and Safety Monitoring Board of the NIMH study Treating Depression and Insomnia (TRIAD). Consistently listed in The Best Doctors in America and America's Top Doctors, he received an Exemplary Psychiatrist Award of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and two teaching awards at the University of Arizona. He has mentored numerous researchers, many of whom are now highly productive scientists.
A native of Philadelphia, Alan Gelenberg received an A.B. from Columbia University and M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. After a year's internship in internal medicine at Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, he was a resident in psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital. For six years he was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. Dr. Gelenberg's wife was the first woman TV news anchor in Arizona, on the air for 34 years, and a candidate for the U.S. Congress. Between them, the Gelenbergs have five children.
If you have a question for Dr. Gelenberg, you can send him an email at drgelenberg@btpnews.com.