Fatigue is a common and highly distressing symptom of cancer associated with reduced quality of life and considerable psychological and functional morbidity. The reported prevalence of cancer-related fatigue ranges from 4% to 91%, depending on the specific cancer population studied and the methods of assessment. Cancer-related fatigue has typically been underreported, underdiagnosed, and undert...

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In this issue of JCP, Cohen et al present the methodology of the National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics (NPRAA). In full disclosure, the investigators are my colleagues, and I have great interest in the topic of pregnancy registries, including this particular registry, as a perinatal psychiatrist and from a scientific perspective. Highlighting the importance of this paper is in...

BACKGROUND A lack of gold standard treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), no clear ASD management guidelines, and lack of evidence-based pharmacological interventions other than aripiprazole and risperidone elevate the risk of off-label prescribing and adverse effects among individuals with ASD, more so among adults. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify and compare the type...

BACKGROUND Prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval is a key issue for patients who receive psychotropic medications. Such patients may have baseline clinical risk factors for QTc prolongation, and many psychotropic medications may further prolong this interval. This has great clinical relevance, as QTc prolongation is linked with dangerous arrhythmias, especially torsades de pointes (Td...

The interaction between the cognitive component (the perception of nociceptive, or painful stimuli) and the affective component of pain is reflected in the overlap between the actions of anti-nociceptive agents (analgesics) and mood-altering drugs (psychotropics) when treating pain patients. Anxiety, depression, fear and sleeplessness may all respond to psychotropic drugs, and this may result i...

OBJECTIVE Pregnant women and their health care professionals commonly believe that use of medications during pregnancy may be harmful to the unborn fetus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk perception of psychotropic drug use in pregnancy among physicians in different medical specialties. METHOD This was a convenience survey conducted at outpatient clinics in the cities of R...

Accumulating evidence suggests that psychotropic agents such as mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics realize their neurotrophic/neuroprotective effects by activating the mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase, PI3-kinase, and wingless/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 signaling pathways. These agents also upregulate the expression of trophic/protect...