Psychopharmacology News and Research

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Psychopharmacology is the study of drug-induced changes in mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior.

Hallucinogen in mushrooms creates mystical/spiritual experiences

Using unusually rigorous scientific conditions and measures, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the active agent in "sacred mushrooms" can induce mystical/spiritual experiences descriptively identical to spontaneous ones people have reported for centuries.

11 Jul 2006

Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence

While many treatment approaches were found helpful, the authors report that the patients who were most successful in abstaining from alcohol 16 weeks after treatment were those prescribed naltrexone under medical management and those participating in a multi-session program of alcohol counseling delivered by a behavioral specialist.

3 May 2006

Man takes 40,000 ecstasy pills in nine years

Researchers from London University have revealed details of a man who claims to have taken 40,000 ecstasy pills over nine year period.

5 Apr 2006

Majority of young people with ADHD use their medications appropriately

A major concern regarding the use of stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults has been the risk that they will be misused or diverted to those for whom they have not been prescribed.

4 Apr 2006

Concerta used to treat ADHD may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that a delayed-release stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs.

1 Mar 2006

Genetics plays a role in drug-seeking behavior

Inbred strains of rats differ in how aggressively they seek cocaine after a few weeks of use, researchers say.

18 Jan 2006

Bipolar disorder more common in teenage psychiatric patients

Clinicians at Bradley Hospital, the nation's first psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, have found that bipolar disorder is more common than expected in teens in a psychiatric inpatient setting.

29 Dec 2005

Methylphenidate may be effective in treating autism

Methylphenidate, a medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may be effective in treating hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, researchers report in the November Archives of General Psychiatry.

26 Nov 2005

Methylphenidate shows promise for hyperactivity associated with autism

Medication commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be effective for treatment of hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

7 Nov 2005

Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms

A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects.

3 Oct 2005

Study results counters the popular belief that nicotine exposure curbs appetite

A new study by Yale researchers shows that prior nicotine exposure in mice can increase their motivation to respond work for food, weeks after their last exposure to nicotine, a finding that runs counter to the popular belief that nicotine exposure curbs appetite.

31 Aug 2005

Seroquel (quetiapine), may be an effective treatment option for patients with schizophrenia

A new study, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, shows that the atypical antipsychotic Seroquel (quetiapine), may be an effective treatment option for patients with schizophrenia who exhibit aggressive behaviour during psychotic episodes.

19 Jun 2005

Chemicals in Cannabis may help mentally ill

Smoking cannabis which has previously been shown to damage mental health, now according to a new study may be useful in relieving the symptoms of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.

6 Jun 2005

University of Exeter researchers discover a stroll could help break your smoking habit

Researchers at the University of Exeter have found a new way to help kick the smoking habit - a quick stroll around the block. They examined the effects of a one mile walk on 15 smokers, who hadn't had a puff for 15 hours.

1 Jun 2005

ADHD costs U.S. nearly $77 billion each year

U.S. household income losses due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) total nearly $77 billion each year, according to a new analysis of the national large-scale survey, "Capturing America's Attention," presented today at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting in Atlanta.

23 May 2005

Combining behavior modification therapy with medication is the most effective way to improve the behavior of many ADHD children

In fact, when the two are combined, the study showed, the amount of medication required to achieve the same results as use of medication alone can be reduced by two-thirds.

10 May 2005

Research is first to test effectiveness of a new patch for treating ADHD

A new University at Buffalo study of treatments for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has found that combining behavior modification therapy with medication is the most effective way to improve the behavior of many ADHD children.

5 May 2005