Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Extended-Release Guanfacine Improves ADHD Symptoms in Autism

July 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP. Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX. Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Stimulants are fairly effective but tend to cause more side effects in autistic ADHD kids than in children with pure ADHD. Atomoxetine was only equivocally effective in one trial, and the immediate-release version of guanfacine was tested in a small open-label trial, resulting in improvement in about half the subjects.

Buprenorphine for Suicidality? Maybe

July 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

When patients become severely suicidal, we have few good treatment options. Recognizing the need for more options, Israeli researchers studied the use of very low doses of buprenorphine in suicidal patients. Patients with suicidal ideation were recruited from four medical centers.

Citalopram Safety Warning Has Serious Consequences for VA Patients

July 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

In the summer of 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that post-marketing surveillance showed that patients taking greater than 40 mg/day of citalopram were at greater risk of QT prolongation. Shortly thereafter, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) alerted its providers to this warning. VA researchers recently published a study detailing the results of this warning on patients.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Psychedelic Mushrooms May Help Treatment Resistant Depression

June 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring and psychedelic compound of the Psilocybe species of mushrooms, has garnered the most attention.
Psilocybin is essentially a serotonin 2A agonist. Theoretically, this action should mediate depressive symptoms, but we don’t know for sure because no available antidepressants are direct agonists of this receptor. Researchers from the United Kingdom set out to see if this is indeed the case.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Good News for Smoking Cessation Drugs: Not as Scary as Once Thought

June 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Both varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban) are effective anti-smoking agents, but over the years we’ve heard about potential neuropsychiatric side effects, especially related to varenicline. These include depression, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, and nightmares.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Synthetic THC and Antihypertensive Provide Little Benefit for Cannabis Dependence

May 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP. Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio,.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Second only to alcohol, marijuana is the most common reason people enter substance abuse treatment. And unlike alcohol dependence, there are virtually no effective medications available for those addicted to it. It’s not from a lack of trying. A recent review of 14 drug studies for cannabis dependence revealed little benefit from antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or anxiolytics.

RESEARCH UPDATE

When Physicians Become Addicted: How Well Do Treatment Programs Work?

May 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP. Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

When physicians are diagnosed with opioid or other drug dependence, they are required to receive treatment from special physician health programs (PHP) if they want to keep their medical licenses. Unlike treatment programs for the general population, PHPs do not use opiate agonists, such as methadone or buprenorphine.

Second-Generation Antipsychotics Do Not Raise Risk of Major Malformations

May 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) are used for a variety of psychiatric conditions, but even though they’ve been around for 20 years, we know little about what impact they have on the developing fetus. These medications are widely considered to be relatively safe during pregnancy, but this assumption is based on scant evidence. In this paper, researchers tapped into the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) National Pregnancy Registry of Atypical Antipsychotics and reported some reassuring results.

Does Light Therapy Work for Non-Seasonal Depression?

April 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Many studies have shown that light therapy works for seasonal affective disorder, but does it work for non-seasonal major depression? That’s less clear. Systematic reviews have yielded inconclusive results, in part because prior studies have had methodological weaknesses. A new study with a robust design was just published.

Treating Returning Veterans

December 1, 2013

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Former active duty military and current civilian psychologist Dr Bret Moore provides tips and advice for compassionately and effectively treating returning veterans.