Dr. Carpenter, as Editor-in-Chief of Schizophrenia Bulletin and a long-time researcher in the field, I’m sure you’ve seen trends come and go. Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about how the older, conventional antipsychotics may be just as good as the newer atypicals. What’s your take?

Adderall has overtaken Ritalin as the most-abused stimulant among college students. In a survey, 4,580 college students were asked about their illicit use of drugs.

An FDA advisory panel has recommended that TMS not be approved for the treatment of major depression. Neuronetics, the maker of the NeuroStar device (www.neuronetics.com), submitted data from three studies, but only one was a placebo-controlled double-blind trial (Study 101).

We often see teenagers with co-occurring bipolar disorder and aggressive/impulsive behaviors. While Depakote is often effective, we also often prescribe atypical antipsychotics. A new post-hoc analysis provides some
evidence to bolster that practice.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied in a number of psychiatric disorders, including autism, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. A new study shows a possible benefit for patients with a history of self-harm.

Atypical antipsychotics can cause significant weight gain in adolescents. In this study, 39 kids between 10 and 18 years of age were randomized to receive either the antidiabetic drug Glucophage (metformin) or a matched placebo; each was added to their primary antipsychotic medication (Risperdal, Seroquel, or Zyprexa) for 16 weeks.

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

In this article, guest author Jeffrey S. Barkin, MD, describes an approach to reading journal literature designed to derive the most useful information in the least amount of time.

You won’t get very far into any journal before you start reading about statistical significance, and its close sibling, 95% confidence intervals. But what do these terms mean, and how do they help us draw conclusions about studies?

Dr. Oransky, as Deputy Editor of The Scientist, I know that you spend a great deal of time looking at medical statistics, and you do an excellent job of making these concepts understandable in your column in CNS News, Statistically Speaking.