Are patients with alcohol-related seizures a specific subgroup? This study evaluated the clinical features and personality traits of these patients to find out.
How would you use a symptom-focused approach to provide a more nuanced method for the assessment, monitoring, and treatment of PTSD? Read on to answer this question and gain a better understanding of PTSD in veterans.
The risk of Stevens-Johnson syndrome in patients taking valproic acid may be underestimated in current clinical practice. Read this case report to find out more.
Some studies have indicated that drugs used to treat depression might increase the risk of cataract. This installment of Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology takes a closer look at the study methodology used and weighs possible causes for the observed association.
The incidence of oxcarbazepine-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome is estimated to range between 0.5-6 cases/million per year. If you' re one of those cases, then there is a 100% chance you' ll be fighting this rare and potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction involving the skin and mucous membranes.
Serotonin syndrome is a rare condition that can occur in patients taking certain serotonergic medications, and symptoms can range from mild to fatal. The authors of this article used 2 major databases to assess prevalence, incidence, and economic impact of serotonin syndrome with use of serotonergic agents. This study provides practical information to help you better understand the benefits and risks of prescribing serotonergic agents.
Most studies to date have focused on the effects of mood stabilizers in bipolar I patients. This postmarketing surveillance study examines whether lamotrigine better prevents episodes in those with bipolar II versus bipolar I disorder. Find out what they learned.
Telogen effluvium resulting in excessive hair loss is a very unpleasant side effect of valproate treatment, most often occurring in the first months of treatment. This case report describes treatment and outcomes in a 42-year-old woman who developed telogen effluvium after initiating valproate treatment.
In this case of cannabis-induced psychosis, the patient experienced worsening psychosis the more he was treated with antipsychotics. And then seizures? Read how the cycle was ended.
Treatment of skin-picking disorder is challenging for most physicians. Current literature suggests that most pharmacologic treatments have shown limited success. Could a trial of topiramate help patients with skin-picking disorder? Read this open-label pilot study to find out more.
Antipsychotics such as risperidone and aripiprazole are efficacious for controlling behavioral symptoms in children with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder, but they are also associated with adverse reactions including weight gain and sedation. Are clinicians and families satisfied with the trade-off? A group from Italy investigated risperidone and aripiprazole use by pediatric patients in a naturalistic setting for 2 years to see whether—and when—the use of these drugs was discontinued.
Lamotrigine is recommended for use in the maintenance treatment of both bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Because of its low teratogenic risk and relative safety during lactation, lamotrigine was used in 3 women with bipolar II disorder to see if postpartum depression could be prevented.
Baclofen, a French Exception, Seriously Harms Alcohol Use Disorder Patients Without Benefit
To the Editor: Dr Andrade’s analysis of the Bacloville trial in a recent Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology column, in which he concluded that “individualized treatment with high-dose baclofen (30-300 mg/d) may be a useful second-line approach in heavy drinkers” and that “baclofen may be particularly useful in patients with liver disease,” deserves comment.1
First, Andrade failed to recall that the first pivotal trial of baclofen, ALPADIR (NCT01738282; 320 patients, as with Bacloville), was negative (see Braillon et al2).
Second, Dr Andrade should have warned readers that Bacloville’s results are most questionable, lacking robustness. Although he cited us,3 he overlooked the evidence we provided indicating that the Bacloville article4 was published without acknowledging major changes to the initial protocol, affecting the primary outcome. Coincidentally (although as skeptics, we do not believe in coincidence), the initial statistical team was changed when data were sold to the French pharmaceutical company applying for the marketing authorization in France. As Ronald H. Coase warned, “If you torture the data long enough, it will confess.”
MY ACCOUNT