Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Gambling on treatment is not an option
Psychiatrists gathered in London, in April, for the annual Latest Advances in Psychiatry Symposium. Now in its 15th year, the meeting provided an update on topics from eating disorders and problem gambling to management guidelines for schizophrenia and depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Steve Titmarsh reports on some of the highlights. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Tags: Conference Source Type: research

A review of the efficacy and tolerability of antipsychotic long ‐acting injections
The formulation of long‐acting injections (LAIs) as a method of delivering antipsychotics can be used to improve adherence, particularly in those unintentionally non‐adherent. Here, the authors review the efficacy and tolerability of first‐generation antipsychotic (FGA) and second‐generation antipsychotic (SGA) LAIs, analyse drug cost, give guidance on initiation regimens for SGA LAIs and discuss the future for these drugs. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Allison Whyte, Caroline Parker Tags: Review Source Type: research

Reducing the duration of untreated psychosis: roles of mental health teams
Better outcomes in first‐episode psychosis (FEP) have been associated with lesser duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), making reduction of DUP a key target of early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services. Here, the authors examine the case records within an EIP to find out which psychiatric service had started the antipsychotic if a patient was being prescribed one, and discuss the contribution of teams other than EIP in reducing DUP. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Nandini Chakraborty, Shiraz Ahmed, Fiesal Jan Mohammed Tags: Original research Source Type: research

Continuation of clozapine during chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant
Cancer incidence rates in the UK have increased by more than a third over the last four decades, so the likelihood of requiring concurrent chemotherapy and clozapine is increasing. In this situation clinicians are faced with a clinical conundrum: to stop clozapine and risk a psychotic relapse, or to continue clozapine and risk a potentially fatal agranulocytosis. This case report describes how a multidisciplinary team (MDT) worked together to balance the mental and physical health needs of a patient. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Amy Burlingham, Padmini Anandakumar, Lisa Brownell Tags: Case notes Source Type: research

Hypothyroidism in the elderly: heralding myxoedema coma
Certain physical health problems in the elderly population often result in impairment of cognitive abilities and acute behavioural issues, so pose a challenge to the treating team. The authors describe a case of hypothyroidism with psychological symptoms of general blunting of personality, mental lethargy and memory impairment from the early stages of the disease, with difficulty in recording events and happenings of day‐to‐day activities. They further describe how these resolve upon correction of the underlying physical health issues. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Rohit Renjhen, Keerthi Sundar Tags: Case notes Source Type: research

Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice – a new initiative
Research is critical in advancing health care and improving outcomes for patients. The NHS constitution1 pledges to inform patients of research that they may be eligible to participate in. However, this often does not occur and can be particularly challenging in mental health services, with a number of barriers causing difficulties. Here the authors explore some of the reasons for difficulties in recruiting patients to mental health studies and offer a potential solution. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - September 13, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Joanna Ciapala, Bradley Mullins, Alexandra Forrest, Andrew Molodynski Tags: Comment Source Type: research

Internet pharmacies – boon or threat?
The internet brings many advantages, not least in being able to acquire medicines with relative ease. But there are drawbacks, especially for the unwary. Here the author discusses some of the potential problems patients may encounter when using the internet to address their healthcare needs and suggests how healthcare professionals might advise them to reduce risks they may face. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - August 31, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Manoj Rajagopal Tags: Comment Source Type: research

Motor neurone disease: a review of the new NICE guideline
The authors review the guideline on motor neurone disease published earlier in 2016 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). They welcome the focus on symptomatic management and the use of data extrapolated from interventions in other neurological conditions, noting that ‘such a common sense approach is particularly helpful in these times of austerity’. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 30, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Tarek A ‐Z K Gaber, Clare Shippen Tags: Comment Source Type: research

Clozapine ‐induced neutropenia reversed by lithium
Clozapine is effective in treating refractory cases of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, however, it can induce the serious side‐effect of neutropenia. There is an evolving evidence base in which lithium is used to increase the neutrophil and white cell count in patients who develop neutropenia from clozapine treatment, thus allowing clozapine treatment to continue. Dr Yadav et al. describe such a case. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Devender Yadav, Simon Burton, Chandan Sehgal Tags: Case notes Source Type: research

Pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia – a review of progress
Since much of our knowledge about the neurobiology of schizophrenia derives from the initial discovery that chlorpromazine was effective in treating psychosis, pharmacological research has mostly concentrated on dopamine‐blocking agents. Here, the authors discuss the situation where there is no single pharmacological agent on the horizon that could serve as the ‘holy grail’ to address the full range of symptoms of schizophrenia and what the immediate future holds with the widespread use of polypharmacy. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Konstantinos Dimitrelis, Rohit Shankar Tags: Review Source Type: research

Antidepressant drug interactions: evidence and clinical significance
This article considers the significant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions of different antidepressants, whilst remembering that individual patient characteristics are of utmost importance in the prescribing decision. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Stephen Bleakley Tags: Review Source Type: research

Factors important to psychiatrists when prescribing depot antipsychotics
The relative benefits and disadvantages of first‐generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and second‐generation antipsychotics (SGAs) has been an area of much interest since SGAs were introduced amidst high expectations of superior efficacy and improved side‐effect profiles. In this article, Dr Kenicer et al. analyse a survey of psychiatrists to establish trends in prescribing preferences and the factors influencing them when prescribing antipsychotics. A key finding highlighted the need for an evidence based algorithm when prescribing these antipsychotics. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: David Kenicer, Rabia Ellahi, Paul Davies, Andrew Walker, Alison Cheyne Tags: Original Research Source Type: research

Clozapine‐induced neutropenia reversed by lithium
Clozapine is effective in treating refractory cases of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, however, it can induce the serious side‐effect of neutropenia. There is an evolving evidence base in which lithium is used to increase the neutrophil and white cell count in patients who develop neutropenia from clozapine treatment, thus allowing clozapine treatment to continue. Dr Yadav et al. describe such a case. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Devender Yadav, Simon Burton, Chandan Sehgal Tags: Case notes Source Type: research

Bipolar disorder against a background of a rare vascular dementia
Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare cause of vascular dementia which is underdiagnosed and whose prevalence is currently undetermined. Here, Drs Bangash and Saad describe a highly uncommon case of manic symptoms in CADASIL and the diagnostic criteria and clinical management for this condition. (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Ayesha Bangash, Karim Saad Tags: Case notes Source Type: research

NICE ADHD addendum
The impact of diet on symptoms of ADHD is a controversial topic, with the two most talked about areas being ‘few food’ diets and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements. The authors reviewed the strength of the evidence gathered by NICE for a review of its ADHD guidance,1 and conducted a further literature search for additional evidence to add to the recommendations of the NICE addendum.2 (Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry)
Source: Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry - June 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Rachel Mortimer‐Cawley, Imran Mushtaq Tags: Comment Source Type: research