Testosterone & Depression in Men?
Age-associated hypogonadism (testosterone deficit) can occurs in 30% of men after the age of 55 (1). Low testosterone is associated with decreased muscle mass, bone…
Category: Psychiatry-In-Depth
How to Screen for Delirium Superimposed on Dementia?
When delirium and dementia coexist: this is referred to as delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD). Delirium and dementia are associated with: lengthier hospital stays functional…
How to Differentiate Obsessions from Delusions?
The presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) in schizophrenia is frequent. It is of clinical relevance to separate obsessive symptoms from delusional…
Attention PEFA Members: Join PEFA Network
Dear PEFA Members. We are excited to release a new update in our academy: PEFA Network. This is a closed group for PEFA members only and…
Traumatic Brain Injury: Management Series [PEFA]
The risk for psychiatric disorders and symptoms can increase after the traumatic brain injury, and long-term disability from TBI has primarily been attributed to neurobehavioral…
Message Each Other: New PEFA Feature
Today we are excited to announce the release of our website’s new feature for PEFA members. Now PEFA members can message each other privately to…
How to Evaluate Six Neurocognitive Domains in Dementia? [PUBLISHED]
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy published its next discussion series today: It is important to have knowledge of these six neuro-cognitive domains for the evaluation &…
How to Evaluate Six Neurocognitive Domains in Dementia?
Today we are excited to announce Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s next discussion with release date for this Saturday (July 24): It is important to have…
Psycho-Ophthalmology: Psychotropics Ocular Adverse Events
Psychotropic medications are known to cause ocular side effects. We have a detailed section on this topic in Psychiatry Education Forum Academy. Let’s begin with…
[PEFA Journal Club]: Claim 4.75 CME Credits
We just finished our 13 journal club discussions at PEFA (Psychiatry Education Forum Academy). PEFA members can claim a maximum of 4.75 AMA PRA Category…
[Journal Club 13 + Coffee Club]: International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) for PTSD & CPTSD
Today we posted the following 13th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club #12 + Coffee Club]: Is Ketamine Safe with History of Psychosis?
Today we posted the following 12th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club #6 + #7]: Two New Schizophrenia Medications with Novel Mechanism of Action
Today we posted the sixth and seventh journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series, discussing the following two newer antipsychotics for schizophrenia treatment: (A)…
[Journal Club #5 + Coffee Club]: Comparing 32 Oral Antipsychotics for Acute Schizophrenia Management.
Today we posted the following fifth journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with a expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
Journal Club #4: How Does Schizophrenia Symptoms Progress with Age?
Today we posted the following fourth journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #4: Staging of Schizophrenia With the Use of PANSS:…
Journal Club #3: Bipolar Depression Guidelines: CANMAT & ISBD Versus Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project
Today we posted the following third journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #3: The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South…
Journal Club #2: Omega-3 Fatty Acids for MDD Treatment (ISNPR Practice Guidelines)
Today we posted the following second journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #2: International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research Practice Guidelines…
Journal Club #1: Update on Nonpsychotic Unipolar Depression Management
We begin PEFA Journal Club’s updated schedule with our first journal club discussion today: Journal Club #1: The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South…
PEFA Journal Club: Updated Schedule Released
Psychiatry Education Forum’s Journal Club is an additional feature for PEF Academy’s members. All academy members will be automatically enrolled in this journal club. Here…
Antipsychotics of Choice during Lactation
Antipsychotics of Choice During Lactation: This PEFA academy chapter will summarize the use of antipsychotics during lactation in the following sections: FIRST-LINE treatment options during…
Aducanumab: New Medication FDA Approved for Alzheimer’s Disease
June 07, 2021 Today FDA has approved Aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is the first novel treatment to target the underlying…
Binge Eating Disorder: Diagnose & Treatment Options
PEFA (Psychiatry Education Forum Academy) is excited to announce the release of our new section titled “Feeding & Eating Disorders”. We have the following two…
LYBALVI™: New Medication FDA Approved for Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder
June 01, 2021 Today FDA approved LYBALVI for the treatment of: Schizophrenia in adults Bipolar I disorder in adults Acute treatment of manic or mixed…
PEFA Newsletter: May 2021
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 Here is the summary of topics posted in the month of May at Psychiatry Education Forum Academy. These…
How do Schizophrenia Symptoms Progress over 40 years?
Today (May 24) is World Schizophrenia Day. The purpose of this day is to increase awareness and reduce the stigma associated with the diagnosis of…
Psychological Approaches for Auditory Hallucinations Management
We are excited to announce our next video discussion for Psychiatry Education Forum Academy members: Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to treat the auditory hallucinations…
Medications vs Psychotherapy for MDD: Comparing 5 Major Guidelines
How do you decide between psychotherapy versus medications for the treatment of major depressive disorder? Depression severity is one of the criteria used to make…
Pseudobulbar Affect: Identify & Manage
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s Coffee Club contains short discussions with clinical experts in the field of psychiatry. Coffee Club’s goal is to get answers for clinically…
Treatment-Resistant GAD: 8 Augmentation & 12 Switching Options
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy will publish a detailed lecture on the management options for treatment-resistant GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) tomorrow: April 18 (Sunday). This detailed…
Genetic Testing in Psychiatry: MTHFR & L-MethylFolate
MTHFR gene encodes for MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase (MTHFR) enzyme. It is important to have the knowledge of the following two MTHFR polymorphisms for you to interpret…
PEF Clinical Fact: Antipsychotic of Choice in COVID & Pneumonia
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? JOIN PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP This educational activity is dedicated to the essential and must-know clinical facts regarding the interaction…
Can L-Theanine Help with Anxiety Management?
Share this post Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest Share on print Share on email L-theanine…
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis
ANTI-NMDA RECEPTOR ENCEPHALITIS <p style=”text-align: left;”>This is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack NMDA (<em>N</em>-methyl D aspartate) type glutamate receptors at central neuronal synapses.…
Top 5 Psychiatry Articles Discussed on PEF
Happy New Year to all PEF Followers I want to thank you all for following Psychiatry Education Forum and giving me the encouragement to continue…
Role of ANK3 in Bipolar Disorder
Share this post Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest Share on print Share on email Ankyrin-3…
Ulipristal Acetate for PMDD Treatment
Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on email Close to 70-90 % of reproductive age women are known…
Bipolar Disorder with comorbid ADHD
Bipolar Disorder vs ADHD Which Symptoms are More Prominent in Bipolar Disorder-I, Compared with those with only ADHD? Elevated Mood Grandiosity Flight of Ideas Decreased…
Grief, Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder Versus Prolonged Grief Disorder
This topic will be summarized in the following three sections: (1) Grief versus Major Depressive Episode: https://youtu.be/WIQmiWnqhFg (2) Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder Versus Prolonged Grief…
Treatment-Resistant PTSD Nightmares Management
Today we released our updated lecture series on the management of treatment-resistant PTSD nightmares management. With this lecture series, we have crossed 260 chapters in…
Beware of “Benadryl Challenge” on TikTok: FDA Warning
You must be aware of life-threatening challenges posted on social media in past, including the Tide Pod Challenge (in 2018) and the Bird Box Challenge…
Why Patients with Dementia develop Behavioral Symptoms?
Behavioral Symptoms Management in Dementia Lecture Series This lecture series will be discussed in the following sections: 1. Types of agitated behaviors in dementia: (Duration:…
FDA Update: Boxed Warning for Benzodiazepines
On Sep 23, 2020: FDA released this new announcement in their Drug Safety Communication, that the following update will be included in the Boxed Warning…
Role of Depakote for Delirium Treatment.
Delirium can present with hyperactive, hypoactive or mixed clinical presentations. Depakote can be an effective treatment option for the management of delirium. Answer: Hypoactive Delirium…
Evidence-Based Prevention Guidelines of Alzheimer’s Disease
This most recent study published by Jin-Tai Yu et al in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry (on Jul 20, 2020) completed a systematic review & meta-analysis…
25% Price Drop: 1st CME Conference
Psychiatry Education Forum’s first CME online conference is dedicated to the essential and must-know clinical facts in psychiatry. This conference will offer a maximum of 10 AMA…
Peer Reviewer for Psychiatry Education Forum
We are currently working on exciting educational activities for Psychiatry Education Forum subscribers. We at Psychiatry Education Forum rely on reliable peer review process to…
Cognitive Impairment with Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury can significantly impact an individual’s life, in terms of cognitive, behavioral and physical impairments. Among these, cognitive impairments are often the most…
PEF Coffee Club: Bipolar Depression
Psychiatry Education Forum’s (PEF) Coffee Club is a new feature for Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry course subscribers. PEF Coffee Club contains short discussions with…
Treatment-Resistant OCD: Can NAC Help?
A 36 year-old-female with history of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is currently on fluvoxamine 300 mg/day with clomipramine 250 mg/day with persistence of intrusive obsessive thoughts…
Peer2Peer ChatRoom: Our New Course Feature
PEF Peer2Peer ChatRoom (PEF P2P) is a new feature for Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry subscribers. This ChatRoom brings together fellow psychiatric practitioners in our…
‘Breaking Bad’ on a Routine Urine Drug Screen: The case of an innocent drug-positive
Post Contribution by Dr. Lena Palaniyappan Often we request urine drug screening when we suspect possible drug use, but cannot trust what the patient says.…
The Fire of Psychosis
Journalists write a lot more than psychiatrists, right? But how can you write meaningfully when your “brain is on fire”? A 24 year old New…
Atypical Psychosis: Discussion Series Announcement
Psychiatry Education Forum is excited to announce the release of our upcoming discussion series with Dr. Lena Palaniyappan: <h2>ATYPICAL PSYCHOSIS:</h2> <img width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”https://psychiatryeducationforum.com/project1/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dr.-Lena-Palaniyappan2–1024×576.jpg” alt=””…
Psychotropic Dose Conversions: Email Lecture Series
We will begin the following email lecture series for Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry course subscribers: PSYCHOTROPICS DOSE CONVERSION (MAY 18- MAY 29, 2020) (May…
Duloxetine FDA Approved for Pediatric Fibromyalgia (age 13-17 yr)
FDA has expanded the duloxetine indication for the treatment of fibromyalgia in pediatric population (age 13-17 yr). Duloxetine is now approved for following disorders: Major…
Non-Psychiatric Medications with: Neuropsychiatric Adverse Events (Email Lecture Series)
Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry’s Next Triweekly Email Lecture Series Announcement: In this email lecture series, we will discuss the neuropsychiatric adverse events from following…
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Diagnostic Criteria
This post is dedicated to the discussion of diagnostic criteria for neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Here is the summary of an international consensus study of Neuroleptic…
Catatonia: Kahlbaum & Kraepelin
REFERENCES: Book: CATATONIA. From Psychopathology to Neurobiology. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (amazon) Kahlbaum KL: Klinische Abhandlungen über psychische Krankheiten. 1. Heft: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein. Berlin,…
Burning Mouth Syndrome and Psychotropic Medications
Today we are excited to announce that we crossed 250 chapters in Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry Course. Here is Chapter #252 (which is available…
Clozapine, REMS and COVID-19
FDA issued the statement on March 22, 2020 regarding the patient access to REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) medications like clozapine during COVID-19 public…
Psychotropics Induced Sexual Dysfunction
Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry’s next lecture series will discuss the psychotropics sexual side effects in the following six chapters/emails: (1) WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK? (MARCH…
Tobacco Use Disorder: Lecture Series
The Tobacco Use Disorder email lecture series will be discussed in the following sections: (1) Varenicline: (March 16) Mechanism Dosing instruction Comparison to bupropion Effect…
Do SSRIs have Active Metabolite?
References: Fuller RW, Snoddy HD, Krushinski JH, Robertson DW. Comparison of norfluoxetine enantiomers as serotonin uptake inhibitors in vivo. Neuropharmacology. 1992 Oct;31(10):997-1000. (PubMed PMID: 1279447)…
Depression & Hypothyroidism: 8 Clinical Facts
References: Minerva Endocrinol. 2013 Dec;38(4):365-77. (pubmed) J Affect Disord. 2014 Dec;169:112-7. (pubmed) Arch Intern Med. 2010 Dec 13;170(22):1996-2003. (pubmed) Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015 Aug;58:114-9. (pubmed) Facebook Twitter…
Psychotherapy of Choice for PTSD?
FOR PHYSICIAN’S GUIDE FOR CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY SUBSCRIBERS: (Read Chapter 11.1): VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder. This chapter will summarize these…
FDA Warning: Increased Cancer Risk with Lorcaserin
On 01-14-2020, FDA released this alert of possible association of cancer with Lorcaserin: FDA mentioned that at this time, the cause of the cancer is…
DAYVIGO™ (Lemborexant): FDA Approved for Insomnia.
On Dec 23, 2019 Eisai Inc. announced the FDA approval of DAYVIGO™ (Lemborexant) for insomnia management. This post will summarize the important clinically relevant facts…
Our Top 5 Posts & Lecture Series of 2019: Happy New Year
We hope you had an amazing 2019! We sure did, thanks to all of your support over the past year. I want to say a…
Lumateperone (Caplyta): New Antipsychotic Approved for Schizophrenia
FDA has approved this new antipsychotic CAPLYTA (lumateperone) for the treatment of schizophrenia. This post will summarize the important clinically relevant facts regarding this medication,…
FDA Warning: Gabapentin and Serious Breathing Difficulties
FDA issued the following warning on 12/19/2019, and requires this information to be included in the package insert of this medication class: Combination of Gabapentinoids…
Tardive Dyskinesia Management
Patient with history of schizoaffective disorder admitted for worsening of command auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions. He needed higher doses of haloperidol for stabilization of…
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Pharmacological Management
Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social reciprocity, as well as repetitive behavior and restricted interests. First…
Antidepressants: Mechanism of Action (Part-2)
(Q.1): Which of the following antidepressant medication acts via: 5HT-2 Antagonism 5HT-3 Antagonism Alpha 2 Antagonism Venlafaxine Mirtazapine Vortioxetine Vilazodone (Q.2):…
Antidepressants: Mechanism of Action (Part-1)
(Q.1): Which of the following antidepressant medication acts via: 5HT-2 Antagonism 5HT-3 Antagonism Alpha 2 Antagonism Venlafaxine Mirtazapine Vortioxetine Vilazodone (Q.2): Which…
Duration of Antipsychotic use after Mania Remission.
Before proceeding further: Submit your answer first ANSWER: (c) 6 MONTHS (a) Continuing antipsychotics beyond 6 months (24 weeks) may not further protect against mania recurrence…
Triweekly Email Summary Published (Sep 2019)
Click here for more details: https://course-email-summary.subscribemenow.com/ Free preview of our email sent today: Bipolar Disorder Guidelines: Mania (CANMAT & ISBD): http://bit.ly/Email-Summary-Bipolar-1
Join our Email Newsletter
Dear Psychiatry Education Forum Members. We send 1-2 educational emails/week to our email subscribers. We have upgraded to a new email service provider and this…
Lead Poisoning in Children
This post will be summarized by answering the following questions: (Q.1): What are the Neurological and Non-Neurological Symptoms of Lead Poisoning? (Q.2): What are the…
Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder Management
Management of Excoriation (Skin-Picking) disorder will be discussed in the following two chapters (video podcasts). This brings our total course chapters count to 225. In…
Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry: 6 Months Anniversary Announcements.
Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry course was released 6 months ago on Jan 19 with 180 chapters. We just published our 222nd chapter yesterday (= 42 chapters…
Suicide Risk Evaluation
Suicide risk assessment is the most important aspect of psychiatric evaluation. This video podcast will discuss the clinical factors that may increase or decrease the…
Top 3 Most Viewed Posts Last Week
Before this summary, I want to thank you all for subscribing to our YouTube channel (Psychiatry Education Forum): we crossed 100 subscribers this week 🙂…
Mental Status Exam: Back to Basics
Hello Friends. This post is dedicated to our new PGY1 psychiatry residents. This video podcast will summarize the basic details of a mental status examination. Highly recommended…
Psychiatry Education Forum Updates (June 2019)
Hello Friends. June is almost over and so is half of 2019 🙂 How are you all liking our posts so far? Please do not…
Behavioral Symptoms Management in Dementia: Lecture Series.
Welcome to Behavioral Symptoms Management in Dementia Lecture Series. This post will summarize the list of chapters (based on their release dates). Here is our…
Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry Course Video
This short video will answer the following commonly asked questions regarding our Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry course:Q.1. Why I created this course?Q.2. Who is…
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
This is our fifth video podcast and will be summarized in the following sections: Diagnosing PMDD. PMS vs PMDD. Evaluating PMDD with Scales. Treatment Options:…
FDA Psychiatric Medication Shortages (April 2019)
Following Psychiatric medications are CURRENTLY IN SHORTAGE: (1) Buspirone (2) Diazepam Injection (3) Diphenhydramine Injection (4) Flurazepam Hydrochloride Capsules (5) Fluvoxamine ER Capsules (6) Haloperidol…
FDA Approved Zulresso (brexanolone) for Post-partum Depression.
FDA approved Zulresso (brexanolone) injection for intravenous (IV) use for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) in adult women. Mechanism: Brexanolone is positive allosteric modulator…
Updated Guidelines by International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG) updated their guidelines on the use of genetic testing in psychiatric practice. Here is a summary of these recommendations:…
Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98)
Delirium screening tools such as the Confusion Assessment Method and the Delirium Symptom Interview: are designed to detect some delirium symptoms but not to measure…
Antipsychotics Induced Edema.
Answer: C ↓ ↓ (190th Chapter Added to Course): Free preview available for next 48 hours only: Chapter #(2.8): Antipsychotics Induced Edema: Evaluation & Management.…
Parkinson’s disease and Impulse Control Disorders
Impulse control disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson’s disease: (a) Problem or Pathological Gambling (b) Compulsive Buying (c) Compulsive Sexual Behavior (d) Binge or Compulsive Eating Dopamine Agonist Treatment and Association…
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (#2): Management of Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Primary Care.
Kroenke (1) published the following stepped approach for evaluation and management of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care setting: STEP #1: Determine Severity (a) for acutely…
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (#1): Differentiating Disorders.
DSM-5 Somatic Symptom & Related Disorders includes: Somatic Symptom Disorder Illness Anxiety Disorder Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder) Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions…
Catatonia (#3): Treatment with Benzodiazepines.
FIRST LINE MEDICATION: BENZODIAZEPINES (LORAZEPAM). Route of administration: IV or IM preferred over oral. Initiating dose of lorazepam: 2 mg (Lorazepam Challenge Test) Examine patient…
Catatonia (#2): Catatonic Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition: 293.89 (F06.1)
This post will focus on likely causes for catatonia secondary to underlying medical conditions. DSM-5 defines this as Catatonic Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition:…
Catatonia (#1): History of Catatonia: Kahlbaum & Kraepelin.
Kahlbaum is well known for his monograph “Catatonia or Tension Insanity“, where he described catatonic symptoms as having behavioral and motor components. He described this…
Stimulant and Guanfacine combination for ADHD: (#3) Comorbid Oppositional Symptoms in ADHD.
The following study by Robert L. Findling et al tested the effect of guanfacine extended release (GXR) adjunctive to a psychostimulant on oppositional symptoms in…
Stimulant and Guanfacine combination for ADHD: (#2) Cognitive Effects.
The following study done by Dr. James T. McCracken et al tested the effects of stimulant and guanfacine monotherapies relative to combined treatment on cognitive functions important in ADHD.…
Stimulant and Guanfacine combination for ADHD: (#1) Cardiovascular Effects.
Q: Is this combination safe and well tolerated from cardiovascular side effect profile of individual medications? Stimulants are known for increase in pulse…
Lithium and Risk of Hypercalcemia & Hyperparathyroidism
This post will focus on: Differentiate Lithium associated hypercalcemia/hyperparathyroidism from primary hyperparathyroidism. Symptoms of hypercalcemia. Monitoring guideline. LITHIUM ASSOCIATED HYPER-CALCEMIA/ HYPER-PARATHYROIDISM PRIMARY HYPER-PARATHYROIDISM…
Prevent our Weekly Emails in Spam Folder
Dear Psychiatry Education Forum Members and Physician’s Guide for Clinical Psychiatry Subscribers. I have noticed that only 60-70% of our emails are going to…
Restarting Lamotrigine after abrupt Discontinuation.
(Q.1): Patient is stable on Lamotrigine but suddenly stopped it due to rash. Lamotrigine can be restarted (without need for titration) within how many days of…
Top 5 Viewed Posts in October 2018.
Here is our list of top five viewed posts in October. POST #1: Trazodone for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. This…
Maudsley Staging Method (MSM) for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)
This post will answer following three questions: How to use and score Maudsley Staging Method (MSM) for treatment resistant depression (TRD)? What is the optimal…
Pharmacological Interventions for Benzodiazepine Discontinuation
Cochrane conducted this database of systematic reviews to assess the benefits and harms of pharmacological interventions to facilitate discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine use. …
5-HT2A Receptor Antagonists for Neuroleptic Induced Akathisia
This systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2014, compared the efficacy of 5-HT2A receptor antagonists for neuroleptic induced akathisia. This was the first meta-analysis on this…
Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) Management
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . CLINICAL FEATURES: Uncontrolled crying or laughing. These episodes…
Major Depression Disorder: Sleep-Wake Cycle & Antidepressants.
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . BRAIN STRUCTURES (AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS) IMPLICATED IN SLEEP WAKE CYCLE: …
Antidepressants Discontinuation Syndrome Vs Depression Relapse
Q: How can you clinically differentiate antidepressants discontinuation syndrome from relapse and recurrence of underlying depression? (1) SYMPTOMS: Distinctive symptom of discontinuation is dizziness, which…
Designer Drugs: Clinical Features
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . Designer drugs are synthetic analogs of controlled substances. This post will…
United Kingdom Parkinsons Disease Society Brain Bank Clinical Diagnostic Criteria’s
Diagnosis of a parkinsonian syndrome Bradykinesia and at least one of the following: Muscular rigidity. Rest tremor (4-6 Hz). Postural instability unrelated to…
Fibromyalgia
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . Fibromyalgia is combination of widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and sleep…
Diabetes Mellitus: Non-Insulin Treatment Options
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . . . . . . This…
Postpartum Psychosis: Four Step Algorithm
Postpartum psychosis is a severe disorder that requires acute clinical intervention. Bergink et al published the following four step algorithm for postpartum psychosis management: …
Hyperprolactinemia (Part 3/3): Management Recommendations
This is our third post in this series on hyperprolactinemia. Part 1/3: Hyperprolactinemia & Antipsychotics https://wp.me/p7Us3Y-ko Part 2/3: Hyperprolactinemia & Antidepressants https://wp.me/p7Us3Y-kA This post will focus…
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: When to Discontinue Treatment?
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . APA 2007 guideline recommends that successful medication treatment for…
Rule out: Hypogonadisim or Low Testosterone
Rule out: Hypogonadisim or Low Testosterone HOW TO MAKE THIS DIAGNOSIS: Consistent symptoms and signs + unequivocally low serum testosterone levels. Initial…
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis.
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis This is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack NMDA (N-methyl D aspartate) type glutamate receptors at central neuronal synapses. CLINICAL…
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Renal (Q.2)
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Renal This question series will focus on clinically relevant questions related to the role of psychotropic medications…
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions- Renal (Q.1)
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Renal This question series will focus on clinically relevant questions related to the role of psychotropic medications…
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic (Q.3)
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic This is our third question in this series: “Psychiatry and Co-Morbid Medical Conditions“. This post will…
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic (Q.2)
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic (Q.1) Which of the following psychotropic medication is not as influenced by first-pass metabolism? Sertraline…
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic (Q.1)
Psychiatry & Co-Morbid Medical Conditions: Hepatic This is our first post in this series: “Psychiatry and Co-Morbid Medical Conditions“. This post will…
Antipsychotics use for psychosis/agitation management in dementia.
Antipsychotics use for Psychosis or Agitation Management in Dementia -Post by Dr. Harvinder Singh. American Psychiatric Association (APA) have published detailed guidelines on this topic.…
Marshall Protocol: antimicrobial treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases.
Marshall Protocol: antimicrobial treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases. Five key elements of this approach includes: taking a minimum of four doses of olmesartan (Benicar)…
Inflammatory Biomarkers and Risk of Schizophrenia
Inflammatory Biomarkers and Risk of Schizophrenia Question: Whether inflammatory biomarkers have an effect on the risk of developing schizophrenia.? Findings: This study published in JAMA Psychiatry…
FDA Approved NSS-2 BRIDGE for Opioid Withdrawal.
FDA Approved NSS-2 BRIDGE for Opioid Withdrawal On November 15, 2017 U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a new indication to an electric stimulation device for…
Hypothyroidism and Depression: Clinical Facts
Hypothyroidism and Depression: Clinical Facts 1. Depressive patients have a higher frequency of hypothyroidism and patients with hypothyroidism have a higher occurrence of depressive syndrome. 2. Thyroid peroxidase…
Q.10: Which CYP450 is responsible for this conversion from trazodone to mCPP?
Patients taking trazodone may get false positive results on the urine enzyme immunoassay test for MDMA. The reason for this false positive result is trazodone’s…
Q.11: Medications Affecting Lamotrigine Clearance ?
Q.11: Which of the following medication is NOT known to increase the apparent clearance of lamotrigine? (a) Carbamazepine (b) Estrogen-containing oral contraceptives (c) Rifampin (d) Valproate (e)…
Antidepressants & Comorbid Medical Conditions
Antidepressants & Comorbid Medical Conditions Antidepressant to avoid in patients with seizure disorders: Buproprion Antidepressant to avoid in patients with uncontrolled hypertension: Venlafaxine Antidepressant…
Topiramate with Hydrochlorthiazide
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . Answer: (b) Potassium followed by (d) Bicarbonate …
VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD.
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . According to VA/DOD recently published guidelines (June 2017): For…
False Positive Urine Drug Screen
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . Sertraline —> can cause false positive results for benzodiazepines…
Augmentation Treatment for Depression: Liothyronine (T3)
Augmentation Treatment for Depression: Liothyronine (T3) Which one is preferred for depression augmentation treatment: T3 or T4? T3 is preferred over T4 for depression…
Antidepressants in Bipolar Disorder: Clinical Facts
Q.1: Monotherapy with Antidepressants is not recommended in patient with bipolar disorder. Which antidepressants are preferred in conjunction with mood stabilizer? SSRIs (other than…
Borderline Personality Disorder: Most Reliable Clinical Feature?
Q: Presence of Which Single Clinical Feature Identifies Most Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Absence of Which Rules out this Disorder? Answer: Affective Instability. Zimmermen…
ADHD and Comorbid Bipolar Disorder
ADHD and Comorbid Bipolar Disorder Q: Which Symptoms are More Prominent in Bipolar Disorder-I, Compared with those with only ADHD? Elevated Mood Grandiosity Flight…
Role of Melatonin with Antipsychotic Induced Metabolic Effects
Role of Melatonin With Antipsychotic Induced Metabolic Effects The following three randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluated the metabolic effect of melatonin in patients…
Skin Rashes with Mood Stabilizers
Skin Rashes with Mood Stabilizers LITHIUM (1) Acne: Onset: first 6 months of treatment. Mechanism: Lithium included increase in circulating neutrophil chemotaxis, stimulating…
Treatment Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Treatment Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is defined as patients who have undergone an adequate trial of SRI (clomipramine or SSRI) and do not respond or…
Billing in Tobacco Use Disorder
Billing in Tobacco Use Disorder As of January 2011, Medicare covers face to face tobacco cessation counseling from a Medicare recognized practitioner (physician, physician assistant,…
When will you Initiate Statin Therapy?
52 year old male with history of major depression disorder stable on fluoxetine 20 mg daily. Medical History: diabetes mellitus Labs: LDL-C: 130 mg/dL. Will…
Dasotraline: New DNRI (Dopamine and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor)
Dasotraline: New DNRI (Dopamine and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) Dasotraline: Dasotraline is an investigational medication discovered by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and is currently under development…
Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Will you initiate thyroid replacement therapy?
28 year old non pregnant female presents with symptoms of depression. On evaluation her thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level is elevated with normal free thyroxine…
Personality Disorders- Differential Diagnosis
(1) Cluster A Personality Disorders- Differential Diagnosis 1. Paranoid Personality Disorder Paranoid Personality Disorder Delusional disorder and Schizophrenia Reality testing intact Reality testing lost …
How to Assess Competence to Consent for Treatment
Please do post your questions or comments below. Dr. Harvinder Singh, M.D. (Admin) Enroll in our online course to have access to all important clinically relevant…
Modifiable Predictors of Conversion to Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Modifiable Predictors of Conversion to Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Diabetes: increases the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in people with amnestic MCI and that…
Post Stroke Depression: UnderDiagnosed & UnderTreated
Post Stroke Depression: UnderDiagnosed & UnderTreated This Topic is Posted in Following Four Sections: Pathophysiology of Post Stroke Depression. Risk Factors Associated with Post Stroke Depression.…
10 Facts Regarding Personality Disorders
10 Facts Regarding Personality Disorders (1) Personality disorders in cluster B are said to combine abnormalities in both thinking and affect, but not to be…
Bupropion: 10 Clinical Facts
Bupropion: 10 Clinical Facts <h4><strong>Clinical Fact #1:</strong></h4> Bupropion is least likely to precipitate mania of all antidepressants in patient with bipolar disorder. Reference: N Engl…
Anti-Inflammatory Treatment: Effect on Depression and Adverse Effects.
JAMA psychiatry published this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials done by Ole Kohler and colleagues in 2014. According to author, this…
Q: How Does Muscuranic Cholinergic Receptor Blockade Reduces EPS Caused by Conventional Antipsychotics?
Q: How Does Muscuranic Cholinergic Receptor Blockade Reduces EPS Caused by Conventional Antipsychotics? Please do post your questions or comments below. Dr. Harvinder Singh, M.D. (Admin)…
Second-Generation Antidepressants: Which one is better? Comparing Benefits & Harms.
Second-Generation Antidepressants: Which one is better? Comparing Benefits & Harms. Two important studies have reviewed the comparative efficacy of second generation antidepressants, but their…
Diagnosing Serotonin Syndrome
This research article published in BMC Neurology tested the validity of following four hypothesis that have become widely accepted:- The Hunter classification performs clinically better than Sternbach…
Lithium and Renal Failure: Role of Corrected Creatinine Clearance
Lithium and Renal Failure:Role of Corrected Creatinine Clearance Lithium can affect renal function in several ways:– The most common complication of chronic lithium therapy…
Hyperprolactinemia during Antipsychotics Treatment Increases the Coagulation Markers.
Hyperprolactinemia during Antipsychotics Treatment Increases the Coagulation Markers. Participants: 182 patients with schizophrenia (male =89, female =93) who received antipsychotic treatments for at least…
Treatment Options of Sexually Inappropriate Behavior in Dementia
Treatment Options of Sexually Inappropriate Behavior in Dementia 1. The most common individual treatment choices were Haloperidol (15%), Thioridazine (11%), and Risperidone (10%). Antipsychotics are commonly used for…
Role of Endogenous Opioids in Depression
Role of Endogenous Opioids in Depression The roles of opioid receptors in pain and addiction is well known, but their function in mood…
What Features Differentiates Bipolar Depression from MDD?
Q: What Features Differentiates Bipolar Depression from MDD? Bipolar depression is characterized by significantly higher rates of: Psychomotor retardation Difficulty thinking Early morning awakening, morning worsening Psychotic…
Schizophrenia Treatment: During Pregnancy & Postpartum
Schizophrenia Treatment: During Pregnancy & Postpartum (1) ANTIPSYCHOTICS Typical Antipsychotics (a) Teratogenesis: No increase in teratogenesis in women taking thioridizine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, chlorpromazine, promethazine,…
Serotonin States and Social Anxiety
Serotonin States and Social Anxiety Please do post your questions or comments below. Dr. Harvinder Singh, M.D. (Admin) Enroll in our online course to have access…
Bipolar Disorder Type II vs Borderline Personality Disorder
Bipolar Disorder Type II vs Borderline Personality Disorder Please do post your questions or comments below. Dr. Harvinder Singh, M.D. (Admin) Enroll in our online course…
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Vs Serotonin Syndrome
Copyright © Psychiatry Education Forum Please do post your questions or comments below. Dr. Harvinder Singh, M.D. (Admin) Enroll in our online course to have access…
Association of Hormonal Contraception With Depression
Association of Hormonal Contraception With Depression JAMA Psychiatry published this nationwide prospective cohort study online on September 28, 2016. Study Design: All…
Drug Interaction: Linezolid & Psychiatric Medications
Drug Interaction: Linezolid and Psychiatric Medications The antibacterial drug Linezolid (Zyvox®) is known to cause serious neurological adverse reactions (serotonin syndrome) when administered with certain psychiatric medications.…
Evidence Based Guidelines Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Evidence Based Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder Treatment: Revised Third Edition Recommendations From the British Association for Psychopharmacology (A) ACUTE MANIC EPISODES (1) Patient NOT on…
Supportive Psychotherapy- High Yield Facts
Supportive Psychotherapy- High Yield Facts Praise: – If therapist expresses praise for something that patient cannot feel good about, therapist’s words will be ineffective…
Identifying Dementia Patient at Risk of Unsafe Driving
For patients with dementia, consider the following characteristics useful for identifying patients at increased risk for unsafe driving (Strength of evidence: A, B &C-…
Evidence-Based Guideline: Treatment of Tardive Syndromes
Evidence-Based Guideline: Treatment of Tardive Syndromes Objective: To make evidence-based recommendations regarding management of tardive syndromes (TDS), including tardive dyskinesias (TDD), by addressing 5 questions:…