Brain Stimulation Research Lacking in Reproducibility and Scientific Integrity
Questionable research practices and poor reproducibility in electrical brain stimulation (EBS) studies.
Dear Scott Gottlieb: Add New Warnings to Paxil Labels
From STAT: Scott Gottlieb, Trump's pick to lead the FDA, should consider pursuing a stronger warning label for the antidepressant Paxil. Paxil's label currently does...
Can Science Ever Tell us Whether Free Will Exists?
From The Irish Times: In recent experiments, scientists have identified "unconscious determinants" in the brain that help predict the decisions of research subjects. However, philosophers argue...
Minimal Exercise Protects Against Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults
Study of older adults shows those who consistently exercised as little as 15 minutes, 3 times/week are less likely to develop depressive symptoms.
Childhood Adversity May Increase Risk of Suicide
Swedish study suggests experiencing adversity in childhood is linked to dying by suicide as an adolescent or young adult.
Phony Peer Review: The More we Look, the More we Find
From STAT: Publishers are increasingly finding previously published studies that need to be retracted due to fraudulent peer review processes. Springer recently announced the retraction of...
Our Health Care System Still Massively Overtreats Patients
From the Center for Health Journalism: It is a commonly held belief that more medical care is always better; however, overtreatment can be harmful to...
Training Nursing Home Staff in Understanding Needs Can Reduce Antipsychotic Use
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the largest study of its kind, has shown it is possible to reduce the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes, by engaging their staff in a training program designed to target residentsâ strengths and their unmet needs.
New Review Highlights Dangers of Electroconvulsive Therapy
Data shows that over a third of users experience permanent memory loss and that approximately half report not receiving adequate information about the risks from their doctors.
Anticonvulsant Implicated in Birth Defects in up to 4,100 Children, French Study Finds
Between 2,150 and 4,100 children suffered from severe malformations connected to valproate prescription.
Autism’s Drug Problem
From Scientific American: Many autistic children are prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, which can lead to serious adverse effects and are often ineffective.
"Multiple diagnoses lead to...
Why Slashing the NIH Budget is Indefensible
In this op-ed for The Washington Post, Katrina vanden Heuvel critiques President Trump's plan to cut funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by...
New Tool Will Make it Easier to Spot Conflicts of Interest
From Vox: PubMed, a search engine for medical abstracts, has begun displaying conflict of interest data in search results. The abstracts now include a Conflict...
What Lurks Beneath
In this piece for Aeon, Antonio Melechi explores various historical and contemporary perspectives on the nature and purpose of the unconscious mind.
Big Pharma Funds “Independent” Advocacy Groups
From The Intercept: Several seemingly independent advocacy groups have recently published advertisements opposing newly proposed legislation that would lower drug prices. In fact, the organizations have undisclosed...
Psychosis Diagnosis Linked With Lower Rates of Exercise
A new study finds that for those experiencing symptoms associated with psychosis, a low-level of physical activity is associated with receiving a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.
Does Depression run in Families?
From U.S. News: A variety of research shows that children of parents diagnosed with depression are more likely to experience depression themselves. However, it is...
Can a Difficult Childhood Enhance Cognition?
From The Atlantic: Over the past few decades, numerous studies have documented the negative impacts of childhood adversity, indicating a correlation between growing up in an unstable...
Providing Trauma Informed Brief Counseling to College Students
Recommendations on how to provide trauma-informed, short-term counseling to college students who have experienced sexual assault and interpersonal violence.
Selling Adult ADHD: NPR Coverage Helps Advance Drug Industry
From HealthNewsReview: NPR recently reported on a study claiming that a test of just six simple questions can reliably diagnose adults with ADHD. Unknown to...
Researchers Fail to Predict Criminal Intent with Brain Scans
A new study in the journal PNAS explores whether brain scans are ineffective at identifying criminal intent in carefully designed situations.
Study Explores Cognitive Effects of Antipsychotics
Reduced usage of antipsychotics in first-episode psychosis was associated with improved executive functioning.
Up in Smoke: Speculative Claims about Smoking Cessation Drug
From HealthNewsReview: A recent news release from Florida Atlantic University has urged wider use of Chantix, a prescription medication for smoking cessation. The release made...
Could ‘Treatment Resistance’ be an Effect of Antidepressants?
Previously taking antidepressants could make individuals less likely to respond to treatment for bipolar II depression.
The Virtues of Isolation
From The Atlantic: While solitude is often stigmatized and even viewed as dangerous to our health, spending time alone can actually prove to be valuable...
