Many elderly nursing home patients with dementia are being prescribed antipsychotic medications, despite evidence that they are twice as likely to die during treatment.
New guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease define its progression in three distinct stages, and encourage testing for changes in the brain that are associated with the development of the disease.
People with delusional parasitosis believe their bodies are infested with insects.
Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, discusses the findings of an FDA advisory committee regarding the question of whether artificial food colorings and additives contribute to behavioral issues in children.
People who are depressed may be suffering from hypothyroidism, which in turn can be caused by another disease or treatment for a medical condition.
Deep brain stimulation is still considered an experimental treatment for depression, but one small study suggests that some patients could benefit from it.
Writing about a traumatic experience may help some people deal with their feelings in a healthy way.
The mechanism of addiction to a substance or pleasurable activity is rooted in the brain’s reaction to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Another study adds to the evidence that exercise helps protect the brain from cognitive decline in older age.
A study of treatments for anxiety disorders in children showed that medication and cognitive behavioral therapy were both effective, and that the combination of the two was even more so.