Updates about psychiatry and our practice.
We are excited to announce a repeat of our very successful Bipolar 101 Group Fall 2017. Do you want to learn more about bipolar disorder and connect with others who may have experienced similar symptoms to you? Gateway Psychiatric we will be hosting an online psychoeducation group this fall beginning on September 8th for adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It will …
Researchers from the University of Maryland have conducted a series of experiments in mice and humans leading them to conclude that reduced gene expression in the reward center is linked to depression. Specifically, the researchers found that there was reduced expression of the Slc6a15 gene in the brains of people with major depression who committed suicide, and that expression of this …
About a year ago we reviewed the data on the use of genetic tests for antidepressants as well as other medications and identified three pharmacogenetic panels that seem to have research support: Genecept by Genomind, Genesight, and CNS Dose. Of these three we have been using Genecept and Genesight with some success but now we are happy to add to …
Understanding the lithium mechanism of action may allow us to predict which bipolar patients will respond to the medication (and which will not) and may shape our understanding of the causes of bipolar disorder itself. Research at the University of California, San Diego could lead to just these kind of breakthroughs in the next few years. In the first of …
A study looking at the brain response to stress in depression offers important clues about changes in brain function that may be associated with vulnerability to depression and what happens when a vulnerable individual becomes depressed. Researchers looked at brain activity using functional MRI in three groups of people: people with untreated first episode major depression, people with a history …
Enlyte is a therapeutic food that has been designed to help people at risk of functional deficits in folate and methylfolate that may be associated with treatment resistant depression. It contains a mixture of folate, folinic acid and l-methylfolate as well as other co-factors. EnLyte/EnBrace HR/EnLyte-D helps with concentration, motivation, and sleep. Symptoms include depressed mood, loss of interest, problems concentrating, insomnia, …
How Long Should You Take Antidepressants – Factors to consider, the importance of first getting well, how long it takes for the brain to heal after depression.
Negative Self-Appraisal and Brain Activity: Altered Function in Depression Within the Default Mode Network (DMN) are three structures that link negative self-appraisal and brain activity: The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) And the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) Negative self-appraisal refers to the relentless critical self talk that occurs in many people with depression. Many patients report …
We have updated the health problems page with quick links to important information about living well with moods, including information about diet and exercise, information about sleep, insomnia and the most effective treatments for insomnia, and general information about mood and mood disorders. Hopefully, this new format and the new content, will make the page much more useful for our …
Is there a role for functional brain imaging in depression? Many people seeking treatment are interested in the notion that the brain imaging, particularly imaging that looks at neural activity, might be useful in guiding treatment. Up until the last couple of years the answer to this question has always been that the role is primarily restricted to research settings …
