This article describes a neuroscience mechanism linking serotonin to cognitive flexibility in OCD, which supports the pharmacological rationale for serotonergic treatments but does not report on drug development, clinical trials, or prescribing guidelines.
The European Medicines Agency has accepted Teva's marketing authorization application for long-acting injectable olanzapine for the treatment of schizophrenia, marking a potential new regulatory milestone for this antipsychotic formulation in the EU.
A study in JAMA Network Open reports that a single dose of psilocybin provided rapid and sustained depression symptom relief for over three months compared to placebo, highlighting the challenge of blinding in psychedelic trials.
Research suggests gut-lung microbiome shifts may underlie clozapine's severe gastrointestinal and pulmonary adverse effects, offering potential mechanistic insights for managing this high-risk antipsychotic.
A single dose of psilocybin produced sustained depression symptom relief for months, highlighting its potential as a novel treatment for depression.
Clinical Pearls
Bite-sized clinical takeaways from today's literature (sources from May 16 – May 22)
- Consider prescribing centanafadine as a novel non-stimulant option for adult ADHD when stimulants are ineffective or poorly tolerated.
- Monitor for gastrointestinal and pulmonary adverse effects in patients on clozapine, as emerging evidence links these risks to gut-lung microbiome shifts.
- Recognize that pre-emptive pharmacogenetic testing can reduce antidepressant discontinuation rates by helping to optimize initial prescribing choices.
- Utilize baseline default mode network functional connectivity as a potential biomarker to predict escitalopram response in adolescents with major depressive disorder.
- Advise patients that blinding challenges in psychedelic trials may affect subjective outcome reporting, particularly with psilocybin for depression.
- Note that long-acting injectable olanzapine has received marketing authorization acceptance in the EU, expanding formulation options for schizophrenia management outside the US.
- Combine psychotherapy with antidepressant medication for depression and anxiety disorders, as meta-analytic evidence supports the efficacy of this combination strategy.
- Be aware that repurposing dementia drugs targeting neuroinflammation is being investigated as a potential treatment for alcohol withdrawal.
- Acknowledge that long-acting injectable clozapine formulations are not currently available in the United States, limiting options for treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients requiring depot therapy.
Policy & Regulation 2
An attorney is urging the DEA to expedite the rescheduling of psilocybin following a presidential order, highlighting regulatory shifts that may impact future clinical access to psychedelics.
Long-acting injectable formulations of clozapine are not currently available in the United States, distinguishing them from the standard oral formulation used for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Diagnosis & Treatment 4
A completed study from San Francisco State University investigated using bilateral stimulation after meals to reduce anxiety in individuals recovering from eating disorders.
Study authors suggest optimal dosing for different ADHD medications
Baseline default mode network functional connectivity predicts escitalopram response in adolescents with major depressive disorder, offering a potential biomarker for precision psychiatry.
This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of combining psychotherapy with antidepressant medication for depression and anxiety disorders, providing evidence for combination treatment strategies.
Substance Use 1
A multi-site clinical trial is evaluating tirzepatide for smoking cessation, representing a potential off-label or repurposing application of a GLP-1/GIP agonist in substance use disorder treatment.
Drug Development 2
Research suggests repurposing a dementia drug targeting neuroinflammation as a potential treatment for alcohol withdrawal, offering a new pathway for alcohol use disorder management.
This review of 53 RCTs identifies centanafadine as a promising novel non-stimulant treatment for adult ADHD, while noting that dasotraline showed promise in children before development was halted.
Pharmacogenomics 1
This study demonstrates that pre-emptive pharmacogenetic testing influences antidepressant discontinuation rates, providing evidence for the clinical utility of pharmacogenomics in optimizing antidepressant prescribing.