Best antidepressant for children under age 18: Data from 34 research trials that compared 14 different antidepressants used in children for acute major depression showed that fluoxetine (original trade name was Prozac) was the only antidepressant to work better than placebo.
[Reported in Psychiatric Times, February 2017 by Sy Atezaz Saeed, MD, MS and Richard M. Bloch, PhD, based on journal article in Lancet 2016.]
Improving cognition in Alzheimer's Disease: Research results published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, November 10, 2016 demonstrated that probiotics improved cognition in study patients with Alzheimer's Disease. The treatment consisted of 200 ml of probiotic milk compared to patients who received regular milk. This treatment also showed that this probiotic product reduced inflammation.
[Reported in Psychiatric Times, February 2017 by Heidi Anne Duerr, MPH. ]
Medication to treat binge-eating disorder: The FDA has approved a stimulant, typically used for ADHD, to treat binge-eating disorder, which is the most common eating disorder. The stimulant is lisdexamphetamine (Trade name is Vyvanse). The rationale for using a stimulant to treat binge-eating disorder is twofold. First, it can reduce appetite and cause weight loss. Second, there is overlap between ADHD and binge-eating disorder, and this medication has been used successfully for ADHD. Medication treatment for this common disorder should not be used alone but combined with psychological treatments.
[Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Supplement Vol 78 in 2017, by Susan L. McElroy, MD.]
Peter M. Hartmann, MD, DFAPA
