Neither obesity nor simple overeating will be included in the DSM-5, the forthcoming revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases, but binge eating is on track to…

Adults who abuse cocaine might increase their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), and pregnant women who abuse cocaine could increase the risk of their children developing PD later…

Depression and anxiety are common problems for people whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by medication. A new study found that depression and anxiety improve significantly after epilepsy surgery.

The study,…

Inflammation and associated secretion of proinflammatory cytokines may mediate the association of depression and atherosclerostic progression. During inflammation, infection, and other conditions, intercellular signaling polypeptides known as cytokines are secreted by activated…

The adverse effects of depression on cardiovascular disease also may be mediated by platelet mechanisms. Markovitz and Matthews first proposed that enhanced platelet responses to psychologic stress may trigger adverse coronary…

Alterations in autonomic nervous system activity, as demonstrated by exaggerated responses in heart rate to orthostatic challenge or reduction in HRV, represent yet another mechanism that potentially contributes to the diminished survival of…

Usually underdiagnosed and undertreated, major depression and anxiety disorders are encountered commonly in patients with CAD and patients referred for evaluation of chest pain. However, a burgeoning…

As with other medical disorders, effective treatment of major psychiatric illnesses such as major depression and panic disorder, respectively, require patient access to informed health…

Pathophysiology
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical and Sympathomedullary Hyperactivity

Advances in biological psychiatry have included the discovery of numerous neurochemical, neuroendocrine, and neuroanatomic alterations in unipolar depression. Often proposed as important adjuncts in the…

The neurocircuitry of anxiety has been postulated to arise from the amygdala, the brain area that registers the emotional significance of environmental stimuli and stores emotional memories. The efferent pathways from the central nucleus…

Relatively consistent point prevalence rates of depression have been documented in patients with CAD, ranging from 15 to 23 percent, despite the potential methodologic weaknesses of some of the studies (such…

Legal issues affect all areas of medicine, including psychiatry. The laws that govern medical practice address physician duty, negligence, and malpractice as well as patient competence, consent, and right to refuse treatment. Previous…

There are a large number of competing theories influencing contemporary psychotherapeutic thinking. Psychotherapies derived from psychoanalytic, cognitive, and behavior theory are the most widely used. Cognitive and behavioral interventions have the strongest empirical…

Approximately 10% of those older than 65 are abused. Victims usually live with their assailants, who are often their children. Mistreatment includes abuse and neglect and takes physical, psychological, financial, and material forms. The abuser…

Understanding the complex chemical processes of antidepressants is a book-worthy endeavor. This article will focus on how some of the most commonly prescribed drugs work.

Antidepressants are medicines used to help people who…

You know that these school years can be complicated and demanding. Deep down, you are not quite sure of who you are, what you want to be, or whether…

Depression Affects the Workplace
As a supervisor, you may notice that some employees seem less productive and reliable than usual-they may often call in sick or arrive late…

There is a tendency to romanticize manic-depressive illness. Many artists, musicians and writers have suffered from its mood swings. But in truth, many lives are ruined by this disease and, without effective…

What are the dystonias?

The dystonias are movement disorders in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. The movements, which are involuntary and sometimes painful, may affect a…

In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness. The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in…

Aerobic exercise: physical activity that requires extra effort of the heart and lungs to meet the body’s increased demand for oxygen; examples include running, swimming, cycling, and vigorous dancing.

Biochemistry: the chemistry of living organisms…