RETHINKING THE BROKEN BRAIN

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. is a Professor of Neuroanatomy at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.   His research examines the biological basis of mental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and clinical depression.  Rethinking ADHD: From Brain to Culture, a co-edited volume with psychiatrist Sami Timimi, was released by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009

Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Social Work at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. He has published research on barriers to evidence-based mental health practice, including articles on critical thinking in mental health, clinical treatment of children, and psychiatric medications.

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. The New York Times Opens a Can of Worms on the Increased Use of Stimulants for ADHD

by

April 1, 2013

In today’s NYTs there is an excellent article by Alan Schwartz and Sara Cohen on the rapid rise of the ADHD Diagnosis. The series of articles by Schwartz is especially refreshing given that for decades the Times reporters, for the most part, have ignored the critics. The Times quotes several promoters of the ADHD diagnosis who  now  have second thoughts. It is a tad humorous that the Times chooses to publish the confessions of those who promoted the diagnosis, rather than mention the critics who were apparently correct all along.
Full Article →

Categorized in: ADHD, Blogs, Children and Adolescents, Disorders, Featured Blogs | Tagged as: , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Preventing Depression: SSRIs for At-Risk Populations?

by

March 4, 2013

An issue that we think deserves more media attention than it is currently receiving is the idea of Preventive Intervention in Psychiatry. The goal of Preventive Intervention is to reduce the rate of psychiatric diagnoses in an at-risk group of people by pretreating all the group members with a medication. For instance, could the rate of PTSD in the military be reduced by pretreating everybody in the military with an SSRI?
Full Article →

Categorized in: Antidepressants, Blogs, Psychiatric Drugs | Tagged as: , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. The SSRIs and Ten Years of Misleading Advertising: Who is Responsible?

by

February 5, 2013

In the BMJ this week there is a debate about the antidepressants. On the “Yes, The antidepressants are overprescribed” side is Des Spence. This is hardly a new debate and Des Spence makes a good case for the overuse of the antidepressants, but what caught our eye was the response by Adrian Preda, and his discussion about the findings of Irving Kirsch.
Full Article →

Categorized in: Antidepressants, Blogs, Featured Blogs, Psychiatric Drugs, Research | Tagged as: , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Jonah Lehrer was also Wrong About Antipsychotics

by

August 2, 2012

We spend a lot of time writing about knowledge dissemination in mental health, and over time, have increasingly recognized the important role of science journalists in our society. Thus, we have watched the recent rise and fall of Jonah Lehrer …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Antipsychotics, Blogs, Featured Blogs, Schizophrenia/Psychotic Disorders | Tagged as: , , , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Ghostwriting: Time for a Name Change

by

June 27, 2012

There is a fascinating process playing out in academic medicine right now. The general public is understandably concerned that much of the medical literature has not been written by the named authors – what most people would call ghostwriting.  In …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. The George Costanza Excuse for Medical Ghostwriting

by

March 2, 2012

Several months ago, two professors at the University of Pennsylvania were accused of ghostwriting. The university has now announced the results of their investigation, which is partially based on work by the great moral philosopher, George Constanza…
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. A Pharmaceutical Company That Agrees With Irving Kirsch? Wellbutrin Advertised as 10% More Effective Than Placebo

by

February 29, 2012

Irving Kirsch (the psychologist who has argued that antidepressants offer a marginal advantage over placebos) has agreement from an unlikely source- advertisements from a pharmaceutical company, which agree completely…
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , , , , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. The American Psychiatric Association’s Response to 60 Minutes: Where is the Science?

by

February 24, 2012

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has posted a response to the 60 minutes segment on Irving Kirsch and the placebo effect in antidepressant research. But is their response based on scientific data?
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. 60 Minutes, The SSRIs, and The Dirty Little Secret

by

February 20, 2012

Last night, 60 Minutes presented the work of Irving Kirsch, who has been researching the placebo effect in antidepressants for many years. We discuss.
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Should Jilted Lovers Be Treated with Antidepressants?

by

January 31, 2012

It is refreshing that The New York Times in the space of four days has published two articles which take a critical view of the current mental health paradigm.  An article by Alan Sroufe called “Ritalin Gone Wrong” points out …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , , , , , , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Revising the History of the Serotonin Theory of Depression?

by

January 29, 2012

Did scientists recently discover that the Serotonin Theory of Depression is false? Or has this been known for decades? We investigate.
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs | Tagged as: , , , , , , , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Psychiatry’s Grand Confession

by

January 23, 2012

The psychiatric profession has finally come clean and confessed on a national media outlet that there is no evidence to support the Serotonin Theory of Depression. Today, on NPR’s Morning Edition there is a segment about the chemical imbalance theory, and …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs, Popular | Tagged as: , , ,

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Antipsychotics and the Scientific Method

by

January 7, 2011

In a recent article in the New Yorker, titled, The Truth Wears Off, science writer Jonah Lehrer discusses an intriguing problem in science. The problem is that scientific results which are confirmed at one point are sometimes overturned after further …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Coffee Mugs or the Medical Literature: Why Do Doctors Make the Decisions They Do?

by

November 9, 2010

Categorized in: Blogs

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Keeping Tabs on the Serotonin Theory of Depression

by

October 6, 2010

In 2008, Philip Cowen published an essay in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. His essay leads off with the provocative question, “Serotonin and Depression: Pathological mechanism or Marketing Myth?”  To be honest we are not exactly sure on what side of …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs

Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. / Jeffrey Lacasse, Ph.D. Introducing Our Blog

by

September 18, 2010

Consider these findings: The antidepressant drugs, used to treat depression and many other mental disorders have limited effectiveness, they have significant side effects, and many people who take the drugs have a hard time withdrawing from them.  In addition, no …
Full Article →

Categorized in: Blogs