Psychiatry

Mindfulness programme as effective as escitalopram in treating anxiety

Kanas Chan, 2 days ago

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course is safe and as effective as first-line escitalopram for treatment of anxiety disorders, a randomized control trial has shown.

ADHD medication use carries no excess risk of cardiovascular diseases

3 days ago

Users of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications across age groups do not appear to be at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), although a modest risk increase of cardiac arrest or tachyarrhythmias could not be ruled out, according to the results of a meta-analysis.

SG, HK docs delay prescribing clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Jairia Dela Cruz, 4 days ago

Clinicians in Singapore and Hong Kong appear to delay the initiation of clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) despite familiarity with treatment guidelines, as reported in a study.

pregant woman thinking if she should take medication

Maternal levothyroxine exposure not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring

Kanas Chan, 4 days ago

Levothyroxine exposure during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring, a territory-wide retrospective cohort study in Hong Kong has shown.

Careful hand feeding in advanced dementia

Careful hand feeding reduces pneumonia risk vs nasogastric tube feeding in advanced dementia patients

Christina Lau, 28 Nov 2022

In advanced dementia patients with feeding problems, careful hand feeding (CHF) is associated with a 40 percent lower risk of pneumonia and similar 1-year survival rate vs nasogastric tube feeding (NGF), a retrospective cohort study in Hong Kong has shown.

Young cyberbullying victims at heightened risk of self-harm

Jairia Dela Cruz, 24 May 2021

For children, being at the receiving end of online bullying makes them 12 times more susceptible to suicidal thoughts and actions, with the risk exacerbated by increased use of social media, as shown in the results of a meta-analysis presented at the virtual American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2021 Annual Meeting.

Bright light therapy at midday: Does it help in bipolar depression?

Elvira Manzano, 07 May 2021

Bright light therapy done at midday may be an effective and affordable adjunct to antimanic medication in patients with bipolar depression (BD), according to an expert who presented at APA 2021. This brings renewed attention to this natural, somatic treatment primarily used for seasonal depression.

Anxiety in MCI may lead to Alzheimer’s disease

Roshini Claire Anthony, 01 Jan 2021

Anxiety symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting (RSNA 2020).

Multidomain intervention effective for dementia prevention

Dr. Joseph Delano Fule Robles, 28 Nov 2018

Multidomain intervention which includes nutrition, exercise, cognitive training and vascular risk monitoring is effective in preventing dementia, findings from the FINGER study have shown.

Ginkgo biloba extract improves cognition and overall condition after ischaemic stroke

Christina Lau, 23 Nov 2018

Use of a ginkgo biloba extract on top of standard preventive treatment is shown to improve cognitive function and overall condition after acute ischaemic stroke.