New Data on the Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness

31
Study reports on the less-examined findings of difficult and painful meditation-related experiences.

Antidepressant Use Linked to Dementia

9
A new study finds that elderly individuals using antidepressants are at significantly higher risk for dementia compared to depressed individuals who did not take the drugs.
dementia

The Monster in Our House: What Psychiatric Medication Did to My Father

41
When we eliminated his last psychotropic prescription, it was as if my father came back from the dead. All of the monster-like qualities that we thought were severe symptoms of his dementia have practically disappeared. Weā€™ve found ourselves questioning whether he has dementia at all.

Antipsychotics Linked to Cognitive & Memory Impairments

32
Finnish reseachers report in Schizophrenia Research that antipsychotic use is associated with cognitive and memory impairments. The University of Oulu team studied forty people...

BPS Releases Review of Alternatives to Antipsychotics

2
BPS releases report encouraging behavioral interventions for people with dementia, rather than antipsychotics

Biogen Pushes FDA to Approve Failed Alzheimerā€™s Drug

2
A new analysis, published in Lancet Neurology, demonstrates how Biogen is spinning results from two failed trials for a new Alzheimer's drug.

Inappropriate Use of Antipsychotics on Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

16
One-third of adults with an intellectual or developmental disability are dispensed antipsychotics, despite having no existing psychiatric diagnosis.

Certain Antidepressants, Sleep Aids Associated with Higher Dementia Risk

3
Greater cumulative doses of drugs that are anticholinergic or block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine are associated with significant increases in dementia and Alzheimer's.

ECT for Agitation and Aggression in Dementia

47
The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published an article titled Safety and utility of acute electroconvulsive therapy for agitation and aggression in dementia,Ā  which concludes "Electroconvulsive therapy may be a safe treatment option to reduce symptoms of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia whose behaviors are refractory to medication management." But the participants were not a random selection of people taking the drugs in question. Rather, they were individuals selected because of aggressive behavior, most of whom had been taking some or all of these drugs on admission. So it is a distinct possibility that the aggression was a drug effect for many, or even most, of the study participants.

Anticholinergic Medications Linked to Dementia Similar to Early Alzheimerā€™s

19
A new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, investigates the effects of anticholinergic medications, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, on cognition in older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Patients on Antipsychotics at High Risk for Cardiovascular Issues, Study Finds

10
Antipsychotics present a known risk for major side effects. A new study suggests that certain antipsychotics may present a greater risk for cardiovascular disease than others.

Nonclinical Factors are Associated with Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults

2
White race and size of initial prescription, along with poor sleep quality, are associated with long-term benzodiazepine use in older adults.

Increased Risk of Movement Disorders From Antipsychotics in Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

4
Large cohort study demonstrates that those with an intellectual disability are at an increased risk for movement disorder side effects of antipsychotics.

Dementia Screening Tools Often Misdiagnose Patients

6
A new study has found that the three most commonly-used dementia screening measures often misdiagnose patients.

Popular Drug Reveals the Issue of “Off-Label” Use

7
FromĀ The Washington Post: Despite major lawsuits and detailed reports pertaining to severe health risks associated with the antipsychotic Seroquel, the drug remains one of...

New Medications Fail to Show Efficacy for Alzheimerā€™s Disease

13
Three phase III clinical trials assessing the efficacy of Lundbeckā€™s investigational drug idalopirdine for Alzheimerā€™s disease have failed

PTSD and Psychiatric Medication Linked to Dementia in Older Veterans

1
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and taking SSRIs, novel antidepressants, or atypical antipsychotics are more likely to develop dementia.

Patient Race Associated with Varied Psychiatric Treatment Experiences

6
Findings point to association between race and the mental health care experiences of African-American and White veterans.

Policies to Reduce Antipsychotic use Among Elderly are Failing

11
Research reveals that rates of antipsychotic prescribing to the elderly in the UK have not dropped despite national recommendations.

The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark

0
In this piece forĀ The New Yorker, Larissa MacFarquhar profiles the philosopher and cognitive scientist Andy Clark, whose work argues that our minds are inseparable...

Review Reinforces Social Connection as Protective Health Factor

3
Is a lack of social connection in the US harmful to health? In a review of social connection and health literature, researcher calls for a societal shift in values towards interdependence.

Evidence Strengthening that Common Benzodiazepine Sedatives May Cause Dementia

45
A meta-analysis of studies found that the risk of dementia increased 22% for every additional twenty daily doses of benzodiazepine medications annually.

Antipsychotics Increase Mortality Risk in Patients with Parkinsonā€™s Disease

15
A new study in JAMA Neurology finds that the use of antipsychotic drugs more than doubled the risk of death in patients with Parkinsonā€™s...

Antipsychotics Even Riskier For The Elderly Than Previously Thought

6
Antipsychotic medications that are commonly being used to help control behaviors in elderly people with dementia seem to be causing premature deaths at high rates.

Can Cultural Engagement Protect Against Depression?

11
A new study examines the preventative effects of cultural engagement has on depression among older adults.