Dr. Carla Nasca is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at NYU Langone, where she studies epigenetic mechanisms of neuroplasticity to stress. Dr. Nasca's work led to the discovery of acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), a metabolite found in the mitochondria, as a promising biological marker of depression.

Topics:

• acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC) and major depressive disorder
• How stress changes the brain on a structural/molecular level
• Risk factors for stress-induced disorders
• Machine learning

More information: https://www.cdr.rfmh.org/research/nasca-lab/

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Tanya Sippy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at NYU Langone. She’s also Principal Investigator at the Sippy Lab and Associate Director of the Psychedelic Medicine Research Training Program. Her research explores the neural mechanisms that underlie how sensory stimuli become associated with goal-directed behavior.

 Topics:

• How learning changes sensory representation (with implications for understanding addiction, etc.)
• Recent research on the functions of dopamine and serotonin
• Hype vs reality of psychedelics
• Regulation of ketamine clinics

 More information: https://www.sippylab.com/

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Andrew Nierenberg is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the MGH Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation. He completed his residency in psychiatry at New York University/Bellevue Hospital.

Topics:

• Lithium vs antipsychotics
• SMART BD (Sequential Multiple Assignment of Randomized Treatment)
• Bipolar Learning Health Network
• Medication concordance

More information:
https://brain.harvard.edu/?people=andrew-nierenberg

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Alan Schatzberg is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford Medicine, and Director of the Stanford Mood Disorders Center. His research examines the biology and psychopharmacology of depressive disorders. An NYU School of Medicine alumnus, Dr. Schatzberg was President of the American Psychiatric Association from 2009-2010.

Topics:

• Ketamine and Esketamine (incl. mechanisms of action)
• Ketamine and obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Opioids
• Psychedelic medicine

For more information:
https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/alan-schatzberg

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Michael Bogenschutz is a Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine.

Topics:

• Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder
• MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD
• Psychedelic medicine for the "worried well"
• The role of the mystical experience
• Comparing different psychedelic medicines
• Mechanisms of action
• Treatment protocols
• Safety and risk-mitigation
• Topics for further investigation

Cited:

• Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder (August 2022)

For more information:
https://centerforpsychedelicmedicine.org/

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Omonigho M. Bubu is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he studies the connection between sleep and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as social determinants of health as they relate to cognitive health. In this interview, he discusses the importance of sleep, especially for people at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Topics:

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• Associations between sleep and increased AD risk
• Sleep patterns in minoritized communities
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Dementia and cognitive decline
• Social determinants of health

Cited:

• Obstructive sleep apnea, cognition and Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review integrating three decades of multidisciplinary research (2020)
• Sleep, Cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2016)

Visit our website for more information:
https://physicianfocus.nyulangone.org/nyu-langone-insights-on-psychiatry-podcast/

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Naomi Simon, MD, talks about her research into mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and yoga as treatments for anxiety disorders. Dr. Simon is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of the Anxiety, Stress, and Prolonged Grief Program.

Topics:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Kundalini yoga
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Access to MBSR & Yoga (including smartphone apps)
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Exercise
• Mechanism(s) of action

Cited: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders (Nov. 2022)

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Mohammed Milad, PhD, discusses recent research into fear conditioning, regulation, and extinction. Dr. Milad is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Program.

Topics covered:

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Estrogen and PTSD
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Meditation
• Deep brain stimulation

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, is the Barbara Wilson Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health, and the Pillar Lead for the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity.

Topics covered:

• Lack of improvement in health equity nationwide
• Advice for clinicians on providing equitable care
• Structural competence vs. cultural competence
• Thoughts on integrating alternative therapies (ex. acupuncture, spirituality)
• Using data to improve health equity

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle

Lenard A. Adler, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Adult ADHD Program at NYU Langone Health. 

Topics covered:

• Symptomology (incl. sluggish cognitive tempo)
• Screening and diagnostic tools
• Pharmacological treatments (and recent developments)
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Medication shortage
• Approaches to treatment-refractory patients

This discussion is for educational purposes and does not substitute for individual clinical judgment or patient care.

Senior Producer: Jon Earle