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Psychiatry and 9/11 – Ten Years After

September 9, 2011

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. and the deaths of 3,000 civilians, police officers, firefighters and medical personnel. Despite the widespread media coverage of the event, the vital work of volunteer psychiatrists acting as first responders and in researching the aftermath of the tragedy is frequently overlooked.

Several recent publications have highlighted the role of psychiatrists in providing acute care in the disaster setting, the challenges they faced, and the psychiatric sequelae for victims, first responders and the population at large.

Beta-IFN injections in the morning may improve flu-like symptoms

September 7, 2011

MS patients treated with a beta-interferon are often advised to self-inject before going to bed to improve the tolerability of flu-like symptoms. But a study in France has found that patients with intolerable side effects may benefit from a switch to morning injections (Nadjar et al. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2011; 113: 316-322).

Little evidence to support non-antiepileptic drug in trigeminal neuralgia

September 7, 2011

A systematic review concludes that there is insufficient evidence demonstrating significant benefit from non-antiepileptic drugs in trigeminal neuralgia despite their widespread use since the 1970s (Yang et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011, Jan 19;1:CD004029).

Call for guidelines on managing PD patients in hospital

September 7, 2011

Motor and psychiatric complications are frequent reasons for hospital admission of patients with Parkinson’s disease and guidelines are needed for the management of in-hospital care, according to a National Parkinson Foundation working group (Aminoff et al. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2011; 17: 139-145).

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