Psychiatry | Home | MIMS Malaysia

Patients with psoriasis more likely to commit suicide

13 Sep 2017

The likelihood of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicides is substantially greater in patients with psoriasis, according to a recent study. Among these patients, those who are younger and whose psoriasis is more severe are at risk of suicidality.

SBP inversely tied to depression, anxiety in young adults

11 Sep 2017

An inverse association exists between systolic blood pressure (SBP) in young adults and depression and anxiety score, independent of a range of lifestyle confounders, according to a recent study. Furthermore, the inverse association between SBP and self-reported history of depression is enhanced by adiposity despite a positive correlation between BP and body mass index (BMI).

Vortioxetine and the one-year experience in Malaysia

17 Mar 2017

On 6 November 2016, in conjunction with the first year anniversary of vortioxetine (Brintellix®, Lundbeck) in Malaysia, two distinguished speakers, Professor Gin S Malhi and Dr Pranab Kalita shared updates on depression and the use of vortioxetine in order to help patients with major depressive disorders (MDD) to return to their premorbid functional states. The session was followed by three case presentations.

Updates on Depression

10 May 2016

This newsletter features an interview with Prof Dr. Nor Zuraida Zainal, president of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA) and Dr. Abdul Rasyid Sulaiman, programme director of the MPA Depression Awareness Day 2016. It also includes highlights of recent discoveries in depression research.

Excerpts from the Inaugural Meeting of the Dementia Advisory Board Malaysia

29 Apr 2016

This article presents the excerpts from the Inaugural Meeting of the Dementia Advisory Board Malaysia held on 23 January 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting the clinical evidence of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761^®in dementia, treatment recommendations from international guidelines and consensus reached during the meeting on the role of EGb761^® in managing dementia.

Androgen deprivation therapy associated with depression in elderly prostate cancer patients

Roshini Claire Anthony, 25 Apr 2016

Elderly patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as part of prostate cancer treatment may be at an increased risk of depression, a recent study states.

CONNECTING BRILLIANT MINDS IN TREATING MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

19 Feb 2016

During the launch of Brintellix^® (vortioxetine) in Malaysia, Professor Dr Nor Zuraida Zainal, Associate Professor Dr Gregory W Mattingly and Associate Professor Dr Ng Chong Guan provided an overview on depression, as well as expounded the role of vortioxetine in treating depression or major depressive episode.

EGb 761® proven effective for NPS symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease

01 Jan 2015

Ginkgo biloba has been shown to improve cognitive as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mixed dementia. During a Schwabe-sponsored symposium last 20 October 2014 held at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, Professor Serge Gauthier of the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging in Quebec, Canada, and Dr Robert Hoerr of the Dr Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG in Germany, discussed studies that support the safety and efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761^®) in patients with AD and dementia.

Managing negative symptoms in schizophrenia

01 Oct 2014

This is the case of a 32-year-old male who called the Early Assessment Service for Young People with Psychosis (EASY Program) hotline due to insomnia in February 2014. The patient had no history of substance abuse, did not smoke, and did not drink alcohol. Family history was negative for mental illness. At the time of the call, he worked as a hairstylist, had one sibling, and lived in a public housing estate. He had a poor employment history, having worked at various jobs with no job lasting more than 2 years. Medical history was unremarkable.

Higher rates of anxiety and depression in adolescents with chronic liver disease

Roshini Claire Anthony, 03 Jun 2016

Young people who have undergone liver transplant (LT), or have autoimmune liver disease (AILD), or other chronic liver diseases have higher rates of depression and anxiety than the general adolescent population, according to a study presented at the 49^th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) 2016 held in Athens, Greece.

Dealing with drug-seeking pain patients? Empathy helps

Pearl Toh, 09 Mar 2016

Empathy is important in helping chronic pain patients with “drug-seeking” behaviour, said Dr. Winslow Munidasa, a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist at Novena Medical Center Singapore, during the Pain Association of Singapore Annual Scientific Meeting (PAS-ASM) 2016 held recently in Singapore.

Novel MRI neuroimaging techniques enhance Alzheimer’s characterization

Jackey Suen, 09 Dec 2015

Recent advances in MRI techniques allow faster and more accurate neuroimaging, which greatly facilitates the characterization of brain structure and function associated with normal ageing and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Social robot ameliorates gesture deficits in schoolchildren with autism

Jackey Suen, 09 Dec 2015

The use of social robots can improve gesture recognition and application in local schoolchildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), data from the new Robotic Intervention Programme of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have shown.