Drs. Steve Dubovsky and Dori Marshall discuss their article reviewing the potential of calcium channel blockers for the treatment of mood disorders, an area of research that the authors assert has received too little attention. Their article, titled Calcium Channel Antagonists for Mood Disorders, appears in the March-April 2022 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

“Polypharmacy,” the simultaneous use of multiple medications, has been linked to an increased risk of treatment complications. An article in the March-April 2022 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology takes a systematic look at research studies that have tested interventions to optimize polypharmacy in psychiatric treatment and nursing homes. Improvement of drug-related outcomes can be achieved by interventions such as individualized medication review and educational approaches. Changes in clinical outcomes, however, are often not substantial. Drs. Philip Stötzner and Eva Brandl, two of the authors of the systematic review, discuss their findings and avenues for future research.

How can we improve psychopharmacology practice? This podcast features a lively discussion among the authors of two articles in the January-February 2022 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology in which they address that important topic. The participants discuss some weaknesses in current models of psychopharmacology training as well as the challenges clinicians face in keeping up with medication advances.

A large observational study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found an elevated risk of breast cancer in women who take some types of antipsychotic drugs – specifically, drugs that raise levels of the hormone prolactin. In this podcast, Dr. Tahir Rahman, lead author of the study, discusses the findings and their implications for patient care.

In the effort to prevent relapse in patients who have experienced depressive episodes, it has been common practice to have them continue long-term on antidepressant medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). In this author podcast, Giovanni A. Fava discusses his guest editorial that challenges that custom and suggests alternative approaches for preventing relapse. Dr. Fava’s Guest Editorial is published in the November-December 2021 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

The link between substance abuse, impulsivity,

and violence in psychotic patients remains unclear. In this author podcast, Gabriella Gobbi, MD, PhD, and Stefano Comai, PhD, discuss their study, which was designed to assess whether cannabis use disorder is associated with violent and/or psychotic behavior in patients who are hospitalized in a high-security hospital.

The findings show that cannabis and alcohol are often abused (by themselves or together) by psychotic patients with a propensity for violence, but only alcohol is associated with impulsive and violent behavior. The article is published in the November-December 2021 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Individuals with major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation are particularly vulnerable and may not respond as well to standard treatment as patients without suicidal ideation. In this author podcast, Dr. Dong-Jing Fu and Dr. Carla Canuso discuss the results of a pooled analysis of data from the ASPIRE studies, randomized placebo-controlled trials of esketamine, plus comprehensive standard-of-care treatment. The results, published in the September-October 2021 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, suggest that esketamine can provide rapid relief of depressive symptoms in patients with MDD and acute suicidal ideation or behavior, especially in those with a history of prior suicide attempt.

Dr. Julia Ann Koretski reflects on the critical role of the placenta in drug metabolism and potential near- and long-term effects on postanatal life. The placenta was once viewed as a passive, almost mechanical barrier, but we are continuing to learn of the important ways it influences drug metabolism and development of conditions such as postnatal adaptation syndrome and schizophrenia. Dr. Koretski’s commentary is inspired by a Guest Editorial in the journal authored by Dr. Richard Shader, Founding Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Dr. Koretski is Digital Editor of the journal.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can often be effectively treated with cognitive behavioral therapy or serotonin reuptake inhibitors. About one-third of patients, however, do not receive adequate symptom relief. Jon E. Grant discusses the potential of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in treatment-resistant OCD. In an article in the journal, Dr. Grant and his coauthors present new data from a case series of nine patients; three had marked improvement on phenelzine and three had some improvement. Large-scale trials are needed to fully assess the benefits and risks of the therapy in this population group.

Mass shootings have become a common occurrence in the United States and elsewhere. In this podcast, author Ira D. Glick discusses the research he and his colleagues conducted to analyze whether certain mass shooters had psychiatric illnesses and had received appropriate medication before they committed the violence. While the authors acknowledge the limitations in their research, their data suggest that many persons who commit domestic mass murders may have experienced compromising and untreated psychiatric illnesses.