MedPage Today (2/2, Firth ) reports that as a “part of a broader overdose prevention strategy, the Biden administration announced changes to decades-old federal rules, which aim to simplify and expand access to addiction treatment in order to save more lives.” Specifically, a new rule issued by HHS “makes permanent pandemic-era flexibilities that allow eligible patients with an opioid use disorder (OUD) to receive take-home methadone doses.” In a statement, Bobby Mukkamala, MD, chair of the AMA’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, called the rule a “step in the right direction in the fight against the worsening overdose epidemic.”

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (2/2) reported, “Playing a musical instrument and/or singing in a group may improve brain health later in life,” research shows. Published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the study“found that playing a musical instrument, singing, and overall musical ability was associated with significantly better performance in working memory and executive function.”

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— “Playing Music, Singing Linked to Better Brain Health Later in Life, Study Shows, Psychiatric News, February 2, 2024

HCPlive (2/2, Derman) reported that a “new study found antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke or other serious bleeding events in most ischemic stroke survivors.” Lead investigator Kent P. Simmonds, DO, PhD., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said, “Our results should reassure clinicians that for most stroke survivors, it is safe to prescribe SSRI and/or SNRI antidepressants early after stroke to treat post-stroke depression and anxiety, which may help optimize their patients’ recovery.” The study was published in Stroke and presented at the International Stroke Conference.

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— “Masturbation abstinence is popular online. Doctors and therapists are worried,”Lisa Hagen, NPR , February 2, 2024

HCPlive (2/2, Derman) reported that a “new study found antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke or other serious bleeding events in most ischemic stroke survivors.” Lead investigator Kent P. Simmonds, DO, PhD., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said, “Our results should reassure clinicians that for most stroke survivors, it is safe to prescribe SSRI and/or SNRI antidepressants early after stroke to treat post-stroke depression and anxiety, which may help optimize their patients’ recovery.” The study was published in Stroke and presented at the International Stroke Conference.

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— “Antidepressants from SSRI or SNRI Classes Were Safe for Most Stroke Survivors,”Chelsie Derman, HCPlive, February 2, 2024

MedPage Today (2/4, Megli) reports, “For-profit ketamine clinics have proliferated over the past few years, offering infusions for a wide array of mental health issues, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and anxiety.” While “the off-label use of ketamine hydrochloride, a Schedule III drug approved by the FDA as an anesthetic in 1970, was considered radical just a decade ago, now between 500 and 750 ketamine clinics have cropped up across the nation.” Although “it’s legal for doctors to prescribe ketamine, the FDA hasn’t approved it for mental health treatment, which means that individual practitioners must develop their own treatment protocols.” This results in “wide variability” among healthcare professionals, “with some favoring gradual, low-dosage treatments while others advocate larger amounts that can induce hallucinations, as the drug is psychedelic at certain doses.” Iter Investments managing principal Dustin Robinson said, “Ketamine is the wild West.”

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)