Antidepressants - Articles - Page 16

SSRI Nonresponse: What to do Next?

January 1, 2007

Here are TCPR’s guidelines for how to deal with SSRI non-response.

Suicidality and Antidepressants

January 1, 2007

David Fassler, MD

Another study has been published on the controversial issue of whether antidepressants increase the risk of suicidality in children.

Deciphering Antidepressant Research

January 1, 2007

I know that you published a famous meta-analysis several years ago in which you compared the remission rates of patients on venlafaxine with SSRIs and placebo. Can you remind us of what that study showed?

The First Antidepressant

November 1, 2006

The first patient to receive a modern antidepressant was Paula J. F., a Swiss woman admitted to the Munsterlingen asylum with depression.

Do Antidepressants Cause Switching?

August 1, 2006

The latest foray into the controversial issue of antidepressant-induced switching appeared in the February issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (2006;163:232-239). The last time TCPR took up this topic (June 2005), we reviewed a meta-analysis of antidepressant use in bipolar disorder. That paper concluded that SSRIs cause the same rate of manic switching as placebo (Am J Psychiatry 2004;161:1537-1547). The authors of the newly published research would beg to differ.

Antidepressants: Does Mechanism Matter?

July 1, 2006

While it’s certainly interesting to theorize about neurotransmitters and antidepressants, the recent STAR*D findings bring up a difficult topic: Does mechanism matter?

The STAR*D Trial: First Results

May 1, 2006

When National Public Radio’s Science Friday devotes most of a program to a psychiatric study, it must be newsworthy. The STAR*D study got this special treatment recently, with Ira Flato interviewing John Rush about the ins and outs of the NIMH-funded project.

How to Bring STAR*D Techniques into Your Practice

May 1, 2006

Because the first results from STAR*D make antidepressants look less powerful than we might have hoped, researchers have emphasized another aspect of the study – namely, that it represents a system that allows us to bring research techniques into our practices. A review of the STAR*D treatment manual is a useful exercise.

Interpreting the STAR*D Trial

May 1, 2006

John Rush, MD

John Rush, MD Professor of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Principal Investigator and Study Director, STAR*D Trial Dr. Rush has disclosed that he was or is a consultant for Bristol Myers Squibb, Cyberonics, GlaxoSmithKline, Neuronetics, Ono, Organon; was or is a member of the speakers bureau of Cyberonics, Forest and GlaxoSmithKline; and was or is a stock shareholder of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. The editors of The Carlat Psychiatry Report have closely reviewed the content of Dr. Rush’s interview and have determined that there are no financial conflicts of interest regarding this educational activity.

Dr. Rush, thanks for agreeing to help us understand the STAR*D trial. You were the overall principal investigator of what I believe was the largest study in history comparing different antidepressants. Looking at the first set of results, are you encouraged by the findings?

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Is the Evidence Convincing?

January 1, 2006

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is certainly new—but is it effective? It took the FDA a long time to make up its mind, but eventually it approved the treatment in May 2005. (For more details on why the FDA flip-flopped on the issue, see “FDA Approval of VNS,” this issue.) In this article, we scrutinize the two pivotal studies leading to approval.