A single intravenous dose of the anesthetic agent ketamine appears to reduce symptoms of depression within 40 minutes among those with bipolar disorder who have not responded to other treatments, according to a report[1] in the Archives of General Psychiatry. “Bipolar disorder is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders and ranks in the top…
Category: Psychiatry
Does High Blood Pressure Influence Bipolar Disorder?
Almost half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may also suffer from hypertension, according to a new study. The younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition, the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure. The study assessed 99 patients hospitalized for bipolar disorder, a condition sometimes called manic-depressive disorder and characterized…
Schizophrenia and Diabetes Linked
A Medical College of Georgia study has shown that individuals with schizophrenia are at high risk for type 2 diabetes. In the study, 50 people newly-diagnosed with schizophrenia or related psychotic disorders with no other known risk factors were looked at. 16 percent either had diabetes or an abnormal rate of glucose metabolism, says Dr.…
Borderline Personality Disorder Patients Show Weakened Emotion-Regulating Circuits
Differences in the working tissue of the brain, called grey matter, have been linked to impaired functioning of an emotion-regulating circuit in patients with borderline personality disorder. People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) had excess grey matter in a fear hub deep in the brain, which over-activated when they viewed scary faces. In contrast, the…
Apathy in Aspergers Syndrome
Did you know that apathy was a symptom of Aspergers Syndrome? It is not always seen or even connected, but there is a very real link between an individual with Aspergers Syndrome experiencing stress, and there suddenly being a response of severe apathy. Some have likened it to feeling stuck in a vat of sinking…
Lexapro and OCD
Lexapro, or the scientific name Escitalopram, is one of the popular treatments for anxiety and in some cases Obsessive Compulsive disorder. This article is intended for the reader that is going to take this product to become well-known with its side effects. The most common dosage of Lexapro is 10-20mg daily. The drug is not…