Leo Sher, M.D. On March 5, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other antidepressant medications but did not improve. Because of the risk of serious side effects related to sedation and dissociation […]
Dilip KC, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. We all know that lithium has important pharmacological properties (1). Most famously, it can provide mood stabilization in patients with bipolar disorders (2). Lithium reduces the risk of suicide in individuals with depression (3). Indeed, it may be helpful in mitigating depressions and possibly in other psychiatric disorders. It […]
Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “The effects of dietary improvement on symptoms of depression and anxiety: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” has been published in Psychosomatic Medicine online ahead of print (1). The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining effects of dietary interventions on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Twenty-six papers […]
Leo Sher, M.D. A research paper, “Patterns of altered regional brain glucose metabolism in borderline personality disorder and bipolar II disorder” has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). The authors examined brain glucose metabolism in patients with borderline personality disorder, in patients with bipolar II disorder, and healthy controls. In […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Our research report, “Moral objections to suicide and suicidal ideation among mood disordered Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics” was published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research (1). We examined the moral objections to suicide and suicidal ideation of White, Black, and Hispanic individuals with mood disorders. In all, […]
Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Exercise-linked FNDC5/irisin rescues synaptic plasticity and memory defects in Alzheimer’s models” is published in the January 2019 issue of Nature Medicine (1). Irisin is a myokine released into the circulation during physical exercise and is capable of stimulating adipocyte browning and thermogenesis in mice and humans. Irisin is cleaved […]
Raymond Pary, M.D., Simrat Kaur Sarai, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. CLINICAL Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent, excessive worry. To confirm a GAD diagnosis, it must persist for over half a year, be present much of the time, and on most days. Those affected frequently express concern about apprehensiveness and/or irritability. Anxious elderly […]
Interviews with eminent psychiatrists
Leo Sher, M.D. Today, we publish an interview with an eminent psychiatrist, Dr. Shih-Ku Lin. Shih-Ku Lin, M.D. is Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital and Psychiatric Center, and Professor of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University, in Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Lin is also a Vice-President of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP) and a Member […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Fifteen years ago, our paper, “Prolactin response to fenfluramine administration in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression and healthy controls” was published in Psychoneuroendocrinology (1). In this study, we compared the prolactin response to fenfluramine administration in unipolar depressed patients (major depressive disorder), depressed patients with bipolar disorder, and healthy controls. One […]
Leo Sher, M.D. A research article, “Leaky gut biomarkers in depression and suicidal behavior” has recently been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). Researchers examined plasma levels of gut permeability markers in patients with a recent suicide attempt, major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects with no history of a suicide attempt, and […]
