Reuters (3/6, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “people who suffer from a common chronic sinus disorder may be more likely than those who don’t to develop depression and anxiety.” The findings were published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. In an accompany commentary, Dr. Edward McCoul, the director of rhinology and sinus surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, wrote that rhinosinusitis may release neurotransmitters that contribute to psychiatric issues.

Related Links:

— “Sinus problems tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 06, 2019

CNN (3/6, Scutti) reports a study found “children born to women who had a severe infection during pregnancy, such as sepsis, flu or pneumonia, show an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder and depression.” The study found elevated risks for autism and depression in minor infections as well, such as urinary tract infection. The population study looked at medical records for almost two million women over 41 years in Sweden. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

MedPage Today (3/6, Hlavinka) reports “children of mothers hospitalized for any infection during pregnancy had a higher risk for diagnoses of autism by age 7 (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34-2.40) and depression by age 21 (HR 1.24 95% CI 1.08-1.42) compared to those of mothers with no such infection history.” Moreover, “for autism, the association did not appear to be affected by the severity of maternal infection.” The study received funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:

— “Exposure to infection in the womb increases risk of autism and depression, study says, “Susan Scutti, CNN, March 06, 2019

The Washington Post (3/6, Johnson, McGinley) reports that the FDA has “approved a novel antidepressant — the first in decades to work in a completely new way in the brain — for people with depression that does not respond to other treatments.” The medication, “a nasal spray called esketamine, has been eagerly anticipated by psychiatrists and patient groups as a powerful new tool to fight intractable depression.” According to the Post, “The spray acts within hours, rather than weeks or months as is typical for current antidepressants.”

Reuters (3/5) reports that “the treatment comes with a boxed warning…flagging the risk for sedation and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts after administration of the” medication. Meanwhile, the agency, “citing the risk of serious adverse outcomes and the potential for abuse and misuse…said the drug will be available through a restricted distribution system.”

The AP (3/6, Perrone) reports that “the FDA approved” the medication “based on study results that showed patients taking the drug experienced a bigger improvement in their depression levels than patients taking a sham treatment, when measured with a psychiatric questionnaire.” The medication “is designed to be lower-dose and easier to use than ketamine, which is normally given as an intravenous infusion.” According to the AP, “The nasal spray…is a chemical cousin of ketamine, which has been used for decades as a powerful anesthetic to prepare patients for surgery.”

The New York Times (3/5, Carey) reports, “Ketamine was developed more than five decades ago as a safer alternative to the anesthetic phencyclidine, or PCP, and is used worldwide, in operating rooms, on the battlefield and in pediatric clinics.” According to the Times, “By the 1990s, interest turned to the drug’s potential to combat depression.”

HealthDay (3/5, Miller, Mundell) reports that “low, intravenous doses” of ketamine “have been found to boost mood and curb suicidal thoughts, but the FDA has not approved it as a treatment for depression.” According to HealthDay, “the American Psychiatric Association (APA) warns patients about the potential for abuse and the lack of large, long-term studies of its effectiveness.” Former APA President Dr. Alan Schatzberg said, “The lack of information [on ketamine] is really quite dramatic when you look at the proliferation of use in certain communities.”

Related Links:

— “In biggest advance for depression in years, FDA approves novel treatment for hardest cases, “Carolyn Y. Johnson and
Laurie McGinley, The Washington Post, March 05, 2019

Reuters (3/5, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “when parents of boys don’t enjoy parenthood or don’t spend a lot of time playing or talking with them, their sons may be more likely to use guns in adolescence.” The study indicated “parental disengagement – caregivers who didn’t play with kids, participate in daily activities, discuss things with children, or enjoy parenting – was directly linked to teen gun carrying.” The findings were published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Hands-off parenting tied to higher risk of teen gun use, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 05, 2019

The AP (3/5, Yen) reports President Trump signed an executive order today “aimed at stemming a persistently high number of veteran suicides, urging expanded outreach by awarding grants to community programs.” According to the AP, Trump’s order “creates a Cabinet-level task force that will seek to develop a national roadmap for suicide prevention, bringing in state and local organizations to raise awareness among the high-risk group.” The order “directs the task force led by Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to finalize a plan in 12 months.”

Related Links:

— “Trump aims to stem vet suicide with outreach, local grants, “Hope Yen, AP, March 05, 2019

Medscape (3/4, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are both linked to increased dementia risk.” Medscape adds, “Preliminary findings from the study, which included more than 3 million US veterans, showed that those with BD or schizophrenia had a significantly higher rate of dementia compared with their counterparts without these conditions.” The findings were presented at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 2019 Annual Meeting.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

USA Today (3/5, O’Donnell) reports a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates the “number of deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide in 2017 hit the highest level since federal data collection started in 1999.” The study, conducted by the Trust for America’s Health and the Well Being Trust, indicated the “national rate for deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide rose from 43.9 to 46.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017, a 6 percent increase.” The increase was slower “than in the previous two years, but it was greater than the 4 percent average annual increase since 1999.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide hit highest level since record-keeping began, “Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, March 05, 2019

Reuters (3/4, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine isn’t associated with an increased risk of autism even among kids who are at high risk because they have a sibling with the disorder.” The researchers found that children who received “the MMR vaccine were seven percent less likely to develop autism than children who didn’t get vaccinated.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

NPR (3/4, Stein) reports on its website that Drs. Saad Omer and Inci Yildrim, both of Emory University, wrote in an accompanying editorial that the new study and similar ones done in the past can help refute claims that the vaccine is linked to autism.

Additional coverage is provided by HealthDay (3/4, Thompson), The Hill (3/4, Hellmann), Forbes (3/5, Forster), MedPage Today (3/4, Monaco), Medscape (3/4, Garcia, Subscription Publication), Newsweek (3/4, Georgiou), and TIME (3/4, Park).

Related Links:

— “Measles vaccine doesn’t cause autism, even in high-risk kids, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 04, 2019

HealthDay (3/1, Preidt) reported researchers identified “five new gene mutations that make people more vulnerable to” Alzheimer’s disease. The findings were published in Nature Genetics.

Related Links:

— “Scientists Find 5 New Genes That Sway Alzheimer’s Risk, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 01, 2019

Neurology Advisor (3/1, May) reported researchers found that “patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) who adhere to psychotherapy experience reductions in the frequency of PNES, improvements in quality of life, and decrease in emergency department visits.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Psychotherapy Associated With Reduced Frequency of Nonepileptic Seizures, “Brandon May, Neurology Advisor, March 01, 2019