Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Insights on Use of Ketamine From RCTs of Ketamine vs Electroconvulsive Therapy in Severe Depression
March 28, 2022
ECT outperformed ketamine in recent randomized controlled trials. These studies also, however, shed light on ketamine’s potential as a viable alternative to ECT in some severely depressed patients.
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Gestational Exposure to Antidepressants and Neurodevelopment
January 25, 2022
A large new study of youth aged 9–15 years with a history of gestational exposure to antidepressants revealed slightly poorer performance in mathematics, but not in language. Dr Andrade…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Limitations of the Odds Ratio in a Case-Control Study of Breast Cancer and Exposure to Antipsychotics
November 23, 2021
Dr Andrade considers the limitations of the odds ratio in a study of prolactin-raising vs prolactin-sparing antipsychotics and breast cancer risk, with the aim of helping readers understand how…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Gestational and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Associated With Exposure to Antipsychotics
October 12, 2021
This article discusses a recent large cohort study of neurodevelopmental outcomes (ADHD, autism) after gestational exposure of antipsychotics—including the limitations of the study.
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
N-Acetylcysteine Augmentation for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Depression
February 18, 2021
Two recent meta-analyses found little effect of N-acetylcysteine augmentation in MDD or bipolar depression, although some past research has indicated its efficacy. In this article, Dr Andrade takes a…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
HARKing, Cherry-Picking, P-Hacking, and Data Dredging as Questionable Research Practices
February 18, 2021
In this article, Dr Andrade helps readers identify several types of statistical analysis that violate scientific principles and that researchers may knowingly—or unknowingly—engage in.
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Paternal Depression as a Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring
December 1, 2020
Gestational exposure to antidepressants has been associated with risk of autism and ADHD, and a recent study also showed maternal depression as a risk factor. Intriguingly, paternal depression was…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Mean Difference, Standardized Mean Difference, and Their Use in Meta-Analysis
September 22, 2020
Measures and methods used in RCTs vary, so how can we combine their findings to synthesize the evidence? Read this article to gain a better understanding of meta-analysis methodology…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Methylphenidate and the Risk of New-Onset Seizures
July 21, 2020
Concerns have been expressed that stimulant drugs may increase seizure risk, but some studies also suggest otherwise. This column considers the findings in the context of the study methodologies…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Major Congenital Malformation Associated With Gestational Exposure to Ondansetron: Weighing the Risks
June 2, 2020
Dr Andrade considers the association between ondansetron use during pregnancy and major congenital malformations. Does confounding by indication explain the findings? And do the benefits conveyed by this medication…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Genes as Confounds in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Antidepressant Prescription During Pregnancy
May 26, 2020
Observational studies have found associations between antidepressant drug prescription during pregnancy and autism and ADHD. But is the link actually related to genetic predisposition rather than to the antidepressant?…
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology
Prenatal Maternal Anemia as a Potential Confound in Studies on Neurodevelopmental and Other Outcomes
March 31, 2020
An association between antidepressants during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders has been found in many observational studies. But is anemia part of the culprit? Dr Andrade takes a closer look…
