HCPlive (6/2, Iopace) reports the FDA “has granted de novo clearance” to Cognoa “for an AI-based, diagnostic aid (Canvas Dx) designed to aid physicians in primary care” in making a “diagnosis of autism.” This clearance “is the first authorized to aid in primary care diagnosis of autism in young children, with the goal of shortening time-to-diagnosis and initiation of earlier interventions.” The diagnostic aid “is indicated for use in diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for patients aged 18 to 72 months at risk of developmental delay, based on concerns from parent, caregiver, or” clinician.

Related Links:

— “FDA Grants De Novo Clearance to AI-Based Autism Diagnosis Aid “Connor Iapoce, HCPlive, June 2, 2021

Healio (6/2, Gramigna) reports, “Suicide rates in the United States differed by race and ethnicity in recent years,” researchers concluded after obtaining and then analyzing “data for this study via the National Vital Statistics System…with rates adjusted for age according to postcensal population estimates.” The study team “collected mortality, race and ethnicity data from death certificates. The findings of the “cross-sectional study” were published online May 26 in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicide rates differed significantly by race, ethnicity in past decade “Joe Gramigna, Healio, June 2, 2021

HCPlive (6/1, Walter) reports, “An earlier wake up time could pay dividends in drastically cutting the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD),” researchers concluded after examining “the association of genetically proxied morning diurnal preference with the risk of depression” in some “697,828 participants of European ancestry.” The study team “used up to 340 genetic loci associated with diurnal preference in a meta-analysis of the UK Biobank and 23andMe cohorts as genetic proxies for diurnal preference.” The findings were published online May 26 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Earlier Wake Up Time Reduces Risk of Depression “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, June 1, 2021

Healio (6/1, Miller) reports, “Most buprenorphine treatment provided in the U.S. was prescribed by a small proportion of clinicians,” researchers concluded in “an analysis of retail pharmacy records.” For the study, utilizing “information collected between January 2017 and December 2018 from the health information technology and clinical research firm IQVIA,” the study team “analyzed data on 50,509 clinicians who prescribed buprenorphine formulations for opioid use disorder at least once for 14,458,729 patient months of care.” Researchers found that “most of the clinicians were primary care physicians (43.8%), advanced practice practitioners (20.6%), pain specialists (8%) and psychiatrists (14.7%).” The study also revealed that “50% of all patient months of buprenorphine treatment were prescribed by 4.9% of the studied clinicians.” The findings were published in a research letter in JAMA.

Related Links:

— “Small percentage of clinicians write most buprenorphine prescriptions “Janel Miller, Healio, June 1, 2021

Psychiatric News (6/1) reports, “U.S. youth appear more aware of the dangers of e-cigarettes than they were just five years ago,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data collected between 2015 and 2019 from the National Youth Tobacco Survey” which “is given to U.S. middle- and high-school students annually.” The study team posited that “efforts to educate adolescents about e-cigarettes may be working and point to groups of adolescents who may need additional support.” The findings were published online May 26 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “U.S. Youth Increasingly Aware of Dangers of E-Cigarettes, Psychiatric News, June 1, 2021