It’s been a bad, bad year for Topamax (topiramate). First, the results of four controlled trials of Topamax as monotherapy for mania showed that it outperforms placebo in only two ways: more paresthesia and more weight loss (Kushner et al, Bipolar Disorders 2006;8:15-27).

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?

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

It's another hectic day in the office. You are evaluating a complicated new patient, who presents with multiple medical and psychiatric problems. Over the next 50 minutes, you're going to have to make a number of medication decisions, and you don't have the time to dig around in your bookcase, nor have you spent enough time in the gym to be able to heave around your PDR. You need all the relevant information in one spot, and you'd prefer to access it while you are sitting and talking to your patient.

Electronic prescribing allows you to write prescriptions from your computer, and either print them or, in some areas, transmit them directly to a pharmacy. There are many advantages to the practitioner and the patient.

You’ve probably heard that looking for something on the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant…. We’ve made it a bit easier by describing a few of our favorite websites.

Dr. Luo, you are one of the nation’s experts in how psychiatrists can use computer technology in their practice. When did you first get involved with using computers in psychiatry?

Dr. Grohol, you frequently speak on the use of e-mail in clinical practice. Can you give us some guidelines for how we should most appropriately use e-mail with our patients?

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

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