Science News about Medications
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Science News about Medications
- Clinical Tests Begin on Medication to Correct Fragile X Defect
- November 02, 2009 • Press Release
NIH-supported scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. There has to date been no medication that could alter the disorder’s neurologic abnormalities. The study will evaluate safety, tolerability, and optimal dosage in healthy volunteers. - Significant Weight Gain, Metabolic Changes Associated with Antipsychotic Use in Children
- October 27, 2009 • Science Update
Many children and adolescents who receive antipsychotic medications gain a significant amount of weight and experience metabolic changes, according to NIMH-funded research published October 28, 2009, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. - Combination Treatment for Psychotic Depression Holds Promise
- August 07, 2009 • Science Update
A combination of an atypical antipsychotic medication and an antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) may be more effective in treating psychotic depression than an atypical antipsychotic alone, according to results from an NIMH-funded clinical study. - Questions Raised About Stimulants and Sudden Death
- June 15, 2009 • Science Update
A study examining stimulant use among children and adolescents found an association between stimulants and sudden unexplained death in youth with no evidence of pre-existing heart disease. The finding draws attention to the potential risks of stimulant medication, according to the study’s authors; an accompanying editorial notes that the rarity of sudden unexplained death and the lack of long-term data on the effectiveness of these medications for reducing other health risks make a full benefit/risk assessment difficult. - Citalopram No Better Than Placebo Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- June 01, 2009 • Press Release
Citalopram, a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other NIH institutes. The study was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. - ADHD Medication Treatment Associated with Higher Academic Performance in Elementary School
- April 27, 2009 • Science Update
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take medication to treat the condition tend to do better in math and reading compared to their peers who also have ADHD but do not take medication, according to data from a national survey. The NIMH-funded study was published in the May 2009 issue of Pediatrics. - Use of Antipsychotics in Alzheimer’s Patients May Lead to Detrimental Metabolic Changes
- April 15, 2009 • Science Update
Atypical antipsychotic medications are associated with weight gain and other metabolic changes among patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness—Alzheimer’s Disease (CATIE-AD) study. The study was published online ahead of print April 15, 2009, in the American Journal of Psychiatry. - Premature Birth Risk Higher for Pregnant Women Taking SSRIs or Suffering from Untreated Depression
- March 19, 2009 • Science Update
Untreated major depression, as well as the use of antidepressant medications, may increase the risk for premature (preterm) birth, but the risk of other problems in fetuses such as breathing, gastrointestinal, or motor problems, may not be increased, according to a study of pregnant women published online ahead of print March 15, 2009, in the American Journal of Psychiatry. - Not All Antipsychotics Created Equal: Analysis Reveals Important Differences
- December 09, 2008 • Science Update
An analysis of studies on antipsychotics reveals multiple differences among the newer, second-generation antipsychotics as well as the older medications, and suggests the current classification system blurs important differences, rendering it unhelpful. - Cells May Provide Target for New Anxiety Medications
- November 06, 2008 • Science Update
A specific population of brain cells could provide a target for developing new medications aimed at helping people learn to mute the fears underlying anxiety disorders, according to NIMH-supported scientists. - Symptoms Persist as Bipolar Children Grow Up
- October 27, 2008 • Science Update
Bipolar disorder (BD) identified in childhood often persisted into adulthood in the first large follow-up study of its kind. - Certain Antipsychotic Medications May Increase Risk for Heart Disease
- October 16, 2008 • Science Update
Certain atypical antipsychotic medications may raise the risk for heart disease in people with schizophrenia, according to an analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study. - Millisecond Brain Signals Predict Response to Fast-Acting Antidepressant
- October 02, 2008 • Press Release
Images of the brain's fastest signals reveal an electromagnetic marker that predicts a patient's response to a fast-acting antidepressant, researchers have discovered. - Newer Antipsychotics No Better Than Older Drug in Treating Child and Adolescent Schizophrenia
- September 15, 2008 • Press Release
Two newer atypical antipsychotic medications were no more effective than an older conventional antipsychotic in treating child and adolescent schizophrenia and may lead to more metabolic side effects, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). - Health Risks Associated with Certain Antipsychotics Warrant Extra Monitoring
- July 24, 2008 • Science Update
Some atypical antipsychotics may be more likely than others to cause metabolic and cardiovascular side effects, according to recent analyses using data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). - Newer Antipsychotics No Better Than Older Medications in Reducing Schizophrenia-related Violence
- July 11, 2008 • Science Update
Antipsychotic medications can reduce the risk of violence among people with schizophrenia, but the newer atypical antipsychotics are no more effective in doing so than older medications, according to a recent analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). - Paying More for Prescriptions May Limit Seniors’ Access to Antidepressants
- April 02, 2008 • Science Update
New cost-sharing policies may prevent some older adults diagnosed with depression from filling new antidepressant prescriptions, according to an analysis published in the April 2008 issue of Psychiatric Services. - State Survey Finds FDA “Black Box” Warning Correlates with Curtailed Antidepressant Prescriptions
- March 14, 2008 • Science Update
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “black box” warning on antidepressant medications, Nebraskan doctors began prescribing fewer antidepressant medications to children and teens and referring more patients to specialists, according to a state survey. The study, which involved NIMH-funded researchers, was published in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. - Schizophrenia-Related Gene Linked to Imbalance in Dopamine Pathways
- December 17, 2007 • Science Update
Forms of a gene known to increase risk for schizophrenia may create an imbalance in brain pathways for dopamine, suggests a recent study by NIMH scientists. - Scientists May Have Found Long-Pursued Binding Site for Antidepressants
- September 28, 2007 • Science Update
NIMH-funded scientists have a major new clue as to where the long-pursued binding site for commonly used antidepressants – potentially the site that triggers the medications’ effects – may be on brain cells. - Genes Linked to Suicidal Thinking During Antidepressant Treatment
- September 27, 2007 • Press Release
Specific variations in two genes are linked to suicidal thinking that sometimes occurs in people taking the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, according to a large study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). - Drops in SSRI prescription rates may coincide with increases in youth suicides
- September 19, 2007 • Science Update
A 2004 spike in suicide rates may have coincided with a drop in antidepressant prescriptions for youth, following warnings from U.S and European regulatory agencies that the medications might trigger suicidal thoughts. - Manic Phase of Bipolar Disorder Benefits from Breast Cancer Medication
- September 12, 2007 • Press Release
The medication tamoxifen, best known as a treatment for breast cancer, dramatically reduces symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder more quickly than many standard medications for the mental illness, a new study shows. - Studies Refine Understanding of Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
- September 01, 2007 • Science Update
Two new studies provide additional details on best practices for treating people with bipolar disorder, a sometimes debilitating illness marked by severe mood swings between depression and mania. - Faster-Acting Antidepressants Closer to Becoming a Reality
- July 24, 2007 • Press Release
A new study has revealed more about how the medication ketamine, when used experimentally for depression, relieves symptoms of the disorder in hours instead of the weeks or months it takes for current antidepressants to work. - Improvement Following ADHD Treatment Sustained in Most Children
- July 20, 2007 • Press Release
Most children treated in a variety of ways for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed sustained improvement after three years in a major follow-up study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). - New Study Will Examine Effects of Excluding Anti-anxiety Medications in Medicare Part D Coverage
- June 22, 2007 • Science Update
A new research grant funded by NIMH will examine the costs and benefits of excluding a commonly prescribed class of anti-anxiety medications—benzodiazepines—from coverage in the new Medicare Part D program. Medicare Part D, the prescription drug coverage plan for people insured by Medicare, went into effect in January 2006. - Gene Variants Linked to Suicidal Thoughts in Some Men Starting Antidepressant Treatment
- June 07, 2007 • Science Update
Some men who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors after they first start taking antidepressant medications may be genetically predisposed to do so, according to the latest results from the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study - Antipsychotic Medications for Schizophrenia on Equal Footing in Improving Patients’ Thinking Skills
- June 04, 2007 • Science Update
Patients with schizophrenia taking antipsychotic medications experience a small improvement in thinking and reasoning skills (neurocognition), but no one medication appears to be better than the others in improving these skills during the first two crucial months of treatment, according to the latest results from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). - Benefits of Antidepressants May Outweigh Risks for Kids
- April 17, 2007 • Science Update
The benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006. The study, partially funded by NIMH, was published in the April 18, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. - HIV Treatment May Help Reduce Severity of Mental Impairment in Children with HIV Infection
- March 07, 2007 • Science Update
During the first few years of life, children born with HIV infection are most susceptible to central nervous system (CNS) disease, and can develop impaired cognitive, language, motor and behavioral functioning. However, NIH-funded researchers have found that among children with HIV infection, treatment with a protease inhibitor (PI)- based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) helped protect against cognitive and motor difficulties compared to a control group of age-matched children who were born to HIV-infected mothers but who did not contract the virus themselves (e.g., HIV-exposed). - Global Use of ADHD Medications Rises Dramatically
- March 06, 2007 • Science Update
Global use of medications that treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nearly tripled from 1993 to 2003, and spending on the drugs rose nine-fold, according to a study co-funded by NIMH and published in the March/April 2007 issue of Health Affairs. - New Details in Schizophrenia Treatment Trial Emerge
- March 01, 2007 • Press Release
Two new studies from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) provide more insights into comparing treatment options, and to what extent antipsychotic medications help people with schizophrenia learn social, interpersonal and community living skills. - Weight Gain From Antipsychotics Traced to Appetite-Regulating Enzyme, Receptor
- February 28, 2007 • Science Update
A likely mechanism by which antipsychotic medications trigger weight gain — with its attendant risks of heart disease, diabetes and treatment non-adherence — has been unraveled in mice by NIMH-funded scientists. - Older Medication May Be More Cost-Effective for Some Patients with Schizophrenia
- December 01, 2006 • Press Release
A new study analyzing the economic implications of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) concludes that the older (first generation) antipsychotic medication perphenazine was less expensive and no less effective than the newer (second generation) medications used in the trial during initial treatment, suggesting that older antipsychotics still have a role in treating schizophrenia. - New NIMH Research Strives to Understand How Antidepressants May Be Associated with Suicidal Thoughts and Actions
- November 13, 2006 • Science Update
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding five new research projects that will shed light on antidepressant medications, notably selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and their association with suicidal thoughts and actions. - U.S. Youth Suicide Rates Lower in Counties with High SSRI Use
- November 08, 2006 • Science Update
For children ages five to 14, suicide rates from 1996 to 1998 were lower in areas of the country with higher rates of antidepressant prescriptions, according to an NIMH-funded study published in the November 2006 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. - Odds of Beating Depression Diminish as Additional Treatment Strategies are Needed
- November 01, 2006 • Science Update
An overall assessment of the nation's largest real-world study of treatment-resistant depression suggests that a patient with persistent depression can get well after trying several treatment strategies, but his or her odds of beating the depression diminish as additional treatment strategies are needed. - Preschoolers with ADHD Improve with Low Doses of Medication
- October 16, 2006 • Press Release
The first long-term, large-scale study designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of treating preschoolers who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with methylphenidate (Ritalin) has found that overall, low doses of this medication are effective and safe. - Antipsychotic Medications Used to Treat Alzheimer’s Patients Found Lacking
- October 11, 2006 • Press Release
Commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications used to treat Alzheimer’s patients with delusions, aggression, hallucinations, and other similar symptoms can benefit some patients, but they appear to be no more effective than a placebo when adverse side effects are considered, according to the first phase of a large-scale clinical trial funded by NIMH. - NIMH Researchers Discover Medication’s Antidepressant Potential
- October 02, 2006 • Science Update
A commonly used sedative and motion-sickness treatment shows promise as a fast-acting antidepressant, according to a study conducted by researchers at NIMH. - New Schizophrenia Trial: Does Method of Administering Medication Make a Difference?
- September 05, 2006 • Science Update
A new clinical trial is testing whether an injection of a long-lasting antipsychotic medication every two weeks results in better adherence to treatment and better outcomes among people with schizophrenia than do oral medications taken daily. - Subsequent Treatment Strategies for Persistent Depression Yield Modest Results
- September 01, 2006 • Science Update
Patients with treatment-resistant depression had a modest chance of becoming symptom-free when they tried different treatment strategies after two or three failed treatments, according to results from the nation's largest real-world study of depression. - Experimental Medication Kicks Depression in Hours Instead of Weeks
- August 07, 2006 • Press Release
People with treatment—resistant depression experienced symptom relief in as little as two hours with a single intravenous dose of ketamine, a medication usually used in higher doses as an anesthetic in humans and animals, in a preliminary study. - Switching to a Third Antidepressant Medication May Prove Helpful to Some with Treatment-Resistant Depression
- July 01, 2006 • Science Update
The next wave of results from the nation's largest real-world study of treatment-resistant depressionshows that patients had a moderate chance of becoming symptom-free when they switched to a third antidepressant medication, following two previously unsuccessful medication attempts. - Antipsychotic Prescriptions Rise Sharply for Children and Adolescents
- June 19, 2006 • Science Update
The number of antipsychotic medication prescriptions for children and adolescents increased six-fold from 1993 to 2002, according to a study of visits made by people 20 years old and younger to doctors' offices. - Antidepressant Does Not Reduce Risk Of Relapse Among Patients With Anorexia Nervosa
- June 14, 2006 • Science Update
An NIMH-funded study has concluded that the antidepressant medication fluoxetine (Prozac) is no more effective than placebo in preventing relapse among patients with anorexia nervosa who had achieved a healthy weight during inpatient or day-program treatment. - Depression Rates Are Lower in Children Whose Mothers Are Successfully Treated
- May 09, 2006 • Science Update
When women treated for depression become symptom-free, their children are less likely to be diagnosed with depression, according to a study published in the March 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. - Studies Offer New Information About Treatment Choices for Schizophrenia — Phase 2 Results
- April 01, 2006 • Science Update
A national clinical trial comparing clozapine with other new-generation antipsychotic medications for the treatment of chronic schizophrenia has shown that people who switched to clozapine from their first medication because it failed to manage symptoms adequately were twice as likely to continue treatment as patients who switched to other antipsychotic medications. - New Strategies Help Depressed Patients Become Symptom-Free
- March 23, 2006 • Press Release
Results of the nation’s largest depression study show that one in three depressed patients who previously did not achieve remission using an antidepressant became symptom-free with the help of an additional medication and one in four achieved remission after switching to a different antidepressant. - Maintenance Treatment Prevents Recurrence in Older Adults with Single-Episode Depression
- March 16, 2006 • Press Release
People age 70 and older who continued taking the antidepressant that helped them to initially recover from their first episode of depression were 60 percent less likely to experience a new episode of depression over a two-year study period than those who stopped taking the medication, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health. - Gene Influences Antidepressant Response
- March 15, 2006 • Press Release
Whether depressed patients will respond to an antidepressant depends, in part, on which version of a gene they inherit, a study led by scientists at NIH has discovered. Having two copies of one version of a gene that codes for a component of the brain’s mood―regulating system increased the odds of a favorable response to an antidepressant by up to 18 percent, compared to having two copies of the other, more common version. - Lithium Blocks Enzyme To Help Cells’ Clocks Keep On Tickin’
- February 17, 2006 • Science Update
NIMH-funded researchers have discovered how lithium likely fixes body clocks gone awry, stabilizing sleep-wake cycles and other daily rhythms disturbed along with mood in bipolar disorder. - Mice Lacking Social Memory Molecule Take Bullying in Stride
- February 09, 2006 • Press Release
The social avoidance that normally develops when a mouse repeatedly experiences defeat by a dominant animal disappears when it lacks a gene for a memory molecule in a brain circuit for social learning, scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered. - Stopping Antidepressant Use While Pregnant May Pose Risks
- February 01, 2006 • Science Update
Pregnant women who discontinue antidepressant medications may significantly increase their risk of relapse during pregnancy, a new NIMH-funded study has found. - Initial Results Help Clinicians Identify Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression
- January 06, 2006 • Press Release
Initial results of the nation’s largest clinical trial for depression have helped clinicians to track “real world” patients who became symptom-free and to identify those who were resistant to the initial treatment. - Nobelist Discovers Antidepressant Protein in Mouse Brain
- January 06, 2006 • Press Release
A protein that seems to be pivotal in lifting depression has been discovered by a Nobel Laureate researcher funded by NIMH. - NIMH Study To Guide Treatment Choices for Schizophrenia (Phase 1 Results)
- September 19, 2005 • Press Release
A large study funded by NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides, for the first time, detailed information comparing the effectiveness and side effects of five medications — both new and older medications — that are currently used to treat people with schizophrenia. - Actor-Patients´ Requests for Medications Boost Prescribing for Depression
- April 27, 2005 • Press Release
Researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that requests from patients for medications have a "profound effect" on physicians prescribing for major depression and adjustment disorder. - New Neurons Born in Adult Rat Cortex
- February 02, 2005 • Press Release
Recent evidence suggesting that antidepressants may act by triggering the birth of new neurons in the adult hippocampus,* the brain's memory hub, has heightened interest in such adult neurogenesis and raised the question: Could new neurons also be sprouting up in the parts of the adult brain involved in the thinking and mood disturbances of depression and anxiety? - Mutant Gene Linked to Treatment-Resistant Depression
- December 13, 2004 • Science Update
A mutant gene that starves the brain of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical messenger, has been discovered and found to be 10 times more prevalent in depressed patients than in control subjects, report researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). - Psychotherapy, Medications Best for Youth With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- October 28, 2004 • Press Release
Children and adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) respond best to a combination of both psychotherapy and an antidepressant, a major clinical trial has found. - Combination Treatment Most Effective in Adolescents with Depression
- August 17, 2004 • Press Release
A clinical trial of 439 adolescents with major depression has found a combination of medication and psychotherapy to be the most effective treatment. - Research to Test Treatment of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia
- May 06, 2004 • Press Release
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a four-year, $9 million contract to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and five other academic medical centers to create a network of Treatment Units for Research on Neurocognition and Schizophrenia (TURNS). - “Care Managers” Help Depressed Elderly Reduce Suicidal Thoughts
- March 02, 2004 • Press Release
Press Release March 2, 2004 “Care Managers” Help Depressed Elderly Reduce Suicidal Thoughts An intervention that includes staffing doctors' offices with depression care managers helps depressed elderly patients reduce suicidal thoughts, a study funded by NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. - Creation of New Neurons Critical to Antidepressant Action in Mice
- August 07, 2003 • Press Release
Blocking the formation of neurons in the hippocampus blocks the behavioral effects of antidepressants in mice, say researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). - Medication and Psychotherapy Treat Depression in Low-Income Minority Women
- July 01, 2003 • Press Release
Treatment with medication or psychotherapy reduced depressive symptoms in women from minority populations, according to research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). - Lithium Shows Promise Against Alzheimer’s in Mouse Model
- May 21, 2003 • Press Release
An enzyme crucial to formation of Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles may hold promise as a target for future medications, suggest studies in mice and cells. - Brain Shrinkage in ADHD Not Caused by Medications
- October 08, 2002 • Press Release
A 10-year study by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists has found that brains of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are 3-4 percent smaller than those of children who don't have the disorder—and that medication treatment is not the cause. - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: Are Children Being Overmedicated?
- September 26, 2002 • Press Release
NOTE TO WRITERS AND EDITORS: Dr. Richard Nakamura, Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, testified this morning before the Committee on Government Reform, United States House of Representatives. - NIMH Study Finds Anti-Psychotic Medication Useful in Treating Serious Behavioral Problems among Children with Autism
- July 31, 2002 • Press Release
One of a newer class of anti-psychotic medications was successful and well tolerated for the treatment of serious behavioral disturbances associated with autistic disorder in children ages 5 to 17. - Drug Targets Brain Circuits that Drive Appetite and Body Weight
- July 25, 2002 • Press Release
Research conducted in animals has revealed that an appetite suppressant drug, D-fenfluramine (D-FEN), activates brain pathways that regulate food intake and body weight. - Placebo, Antidepressant May Lift Depression Via Common Mechanism
- May 01, 2002 • Press Release
Whether it's a widely prescribed medication or a placebo, a successful treatment for depression must trigger a common pattern of brain activity changes, suggests a team of researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
