A number of recent papers have focused attention on the remarkable responses seen with glutamatergic agents in major depressive disorder (MDD), raising questions about the monoamine hypothesis of psychiatric disorders that has dominated biological psychiatry for a half century (Schildkraut JJ. Am J Psychiatry 1965;122:509-522).
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Mortality risk doubled in AD patients
December 5, 2012The impact of Alzheimer’s disease on all-cause mortality has not been extensively examined but a new nested case-control study from Finland has now looked at this issue (Lonnroos et al. J Alzheimers Dis 2012; epublished August 22, 2012).
Neuroprotection: This is your brain on tea
December 5, 2012The latest claimant to the neuroprotection crown is green tea, which provides therapeutic levels of the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). A number of animal studies have indicated that EGCG may be beneficial in a range of disorders, including arthritis, colitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and type 1 diabetes (Kim et al. J Nutr 2008;138:2111-2116; Oz et al. J Nutr Biochem 2005;16:297-304; Hsu et al. Autoimmunity 2007;40:138-147; Fu et al. Br J Nutr 2011;105:1218-1225).
The woes of neurology drug development: Eli Lilly
November 21, 2012The difficulties of developing new therapies for neurological disorders is well documented (see CNS drug development: a pipeline of problems, Neurosens, November 9, 2011). The most recent case in point: Eli Lilly, which has had a tough summer with two of its late-stage drugs.