PsychBabel

QotM (Question of the Moment):
Which neurological disorder is thought to have the highest rate of suicide?

Questions of the Moment are derived from notes created by S. Hinds, M.D.

A new study is reporting that descendants of people with a history of depression displayed large expanses of cortical thinning across the lateral surface of the right cerebral hemisphere. Tests on the participants showed that those with more thinning had greater difficulty with arousal, attention, and visual memory for social stimuli. Could cognitive problems lead to a greater chance for depression? Or is the thinning tied to a predisposition for depression in other ways?

See U.S. News & World Report – Health.

Shouldn’t this be old news? But I still run across clinicians who have not considered using a second generation antipsychotic to augment treatment for depression. Only now, with the approval of Seroquel for the treatment of bipolar depression and Abilfy as an adjunct for the treatment of major depression (not to mention the bombardment of commercials regarding Abilify), are people starting to become comfortable with using an antipsychotic in depression. However, there have been numerous studies over the years, as well as clinical reports, of people with depression benefiting from antipsychotics. Many with depression complain of a disordered thought process.  In addition, some with severe depression develop a preoccupation with negative beliefs that becomes almost (or fully) delusional.