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Long-term Course of ADHD Diagnosed in Preschool Years Can be Chronic and Severe: Science Update • February 12, 2013

Long-term Course of ADHD Diagnosed in Preschool Years Can be Chronic and Severe
Gene Variants Implicated in Extreme Weight Gain Associated with Antipsychotics: Science Update • October 12, 2012

A small study suggests that people with certain genetic variants may be more susceptible to extreme weight gain if they take certain antipsychotic medications.
Brain Signal ID’s Responders to Fast-Acting Antidepressant: Press Release • August 03, 2012

Biomarkers identified in research on a fast-acting antidepressant can signal who will respond to the medication and are providing clues to how it works to lift depression.
Perinatal Antidepressant Stunts Brain Development in Rats: Press Release • October 24, 2011

Rats exposed to an antidepressant just before and after birth showed substantial brain abnormalities and behaviors, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily: Press Release • September 28, 2011

The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Switching Antipsychotics May Reduce Metabolic Risks: Science Update • July 22, 2011

Patients experiencing cardiovascular or metabolic side effects while taking an antipsychotic medication may fare better if they switch to a different medication provided they are closely monitored, according to an NIMH-funded study.
Drug Boosts Growth Factor to Jump-start Rapid Antidepressant Response: Press Release • June 22, 2011

A study in mice has pinpointed a pivotal new player in triggering the rapid antidepressant response produced by ketamine. By deactivating a little-known enzyme, the drug takes the brakes off rapid synthesis of a key growth factor thought to lift depression, say researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Rapid Antidepressant Works by Boosting Brain’s Connections: Science Update • September 09, 2010

An experimental drug that lifts depression in hours likely works by rapidly stimulating connections between brain cells, a study in rats has revealed. The drug, called ketamine, quickly generated such synapses in a brain circuit implicated in human depression by triggering a key enzyme.
Study Shows Possibilities for Predicting How Patients Will Respond to Antidepressants: Science Update • July 22, 2010

In a study of an experimental treatment for major depression, pretreatment testing to probe the function of a specific brain center predicted how patients would respond to ketamine, a medication that can lift depression rapidly in some people.
Effects on Personality May Be Mechanism of Antidepressant Effectiveness: Science Update • July 16, 2010

Results of a study of antidepressant treatment for major depression suggest that changes in personality traits seen in patients taking the drug paroxetine (Paxil) may not be the result of the medication’s lifting of mood but may instead be a direct effect of this class of drugs and part of the mechanism by which they relieve depression.
Effectiveness of Long-term Use of Antipsychotic Medication to Treat Childhood Schizophrenia is Limited: Science Update • May 17, 2010

Few youths with early-onset schizophrenia who are treated with antipsychotic medications for up to a year appear to benefit from their initial treatment choice over the long term, according to results from an NIMH-funded study. The study was published online ahead of print May 4, 2010, in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Clinical Tests Begin on Medication to Correct Fragile X Defect: Press Release • November 02, 2009

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: Science Update • October 27, 2009

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: Science Update • August 07, 2009
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: Science Update • June 15, 2009
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: Press Release • June 01, 2009

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: Science Update • April 27, 2009

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: Science Update • April 15, 2009

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: Science Update • March 19, 2009
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: Science Update • December 09, 2008
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: Science Update • November 06, 2008
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: Science Update • October 27, 2008
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: Science Update • October 16, 2008
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: Press Release • October 02, 2008
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: Press Release • September 15, 2008
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: Science Update • July 24, 2008
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: Science Update • July 11, 2008
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: Science Update • April 02, 2008
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: Science Update • March 14, 2008
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: Science Update • December 17, 2007
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.