May 2012
Antidepressants and Bleeding during Surgery
In a retrospective case-control study, antidepressant treatment was associated with an increase in bleeding during spinal surgery.
Gastric Bypass Changes Antidepressant Pharmacokinetics
Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery are at risk for reduced drug bioavailability postoperatively.
Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics: Second- versus First-Generation
Long-acting injectable risperidone (Risperdal Consta) does not appear to offer clinical benefit compared with older agents for most patients with schizophrenia.
In Brief
Dietary Trans Fatty Acids Are Associated with Behavioral Irritability and Aggression; Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Useful for Monitoring Anti-ß-amyloid Drugs in Alzheimer Disease
Antipsychotics Increase Mortality in Patients with Parkinson Disease
In a nested case-control study involving more than 5,000 subjects, antipsychotic treatment was associated with an increased risk of death for patients with Parkinson disease.
Memantine (Namenda) for Dementia in Down Syndrome
In a prospective, double-blind, random-assignment trial, adults with Down syndrome did not gain any benefit from treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist memantine (Namenda).
A Message from Alan J. Gelenberg, M.D.
When I first started writing BTP in the 1970s, it was to bridge the gap between new knowledge in our field and its application to patient care. Over the decades since, the need for this bridge has become even greater. Neuroscience rockets forward. Psychiatrists and other clinicians have a broader array of treatments for patients with mental disorders than we even dreamed of back then. But we have less time to spend with patients and less time to keep up with developments that affect treatment decisions. Our medications, and those prescribed by colleagues in other specialties, are more varied, complex, and prone to interactions. What were formerly crisp boundaries between major psychopharmacologic categories are now murky.
This makes the modern practice of psychiatry challenging—but also fun and promising. With the expanding armamentarium of treatment options comes enhanced ability to alleviate suffering. The mission of BTP remains constant, even while the field grows. We are still here to bridge the gap, to make science applicable and relevant, and to help you in your day-to-day work relieve distress and improve function in patients' lives.