Biden Signs Spending Bill That Reverses Part of 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Cut
On March 9, President Bidensigned into law theConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (HR 4366) to avert a partial government shutdown. The $460 billion spending package includes a 1.68% reduction to the 3.4% cut to theMedicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor that took effect on January 1.  (The conversion factor is an element in the equation that determines physician reimbursement for every payment code.)The new payment rate went into effect on March 9; it is not retroactive to January 1. APA continues to work for full repeal of the physician pay cut, which was automatically enacted to offset overall increases...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 18, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: appropriations fee schedule Joe Biden legislation Medicaid Medicare reimbursement substance use disorders SUPPORT Act Source Type: research

Medication Treatment for ADHD Linked to Lower Two-Year Risk of Dying
People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who begin taking medications for the condition within three months of their diagnosis may have a lower risk of dying within two years compared with their peers who do not take ADHD medications, astudy inJAMA has found.Zheng Chang, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and colleagues examined data from 148,578 Swedish individuals aged 6 to 64 years who had an incident diagnosis of ADHD from 2007 through 2018 and no ADHD medication dispensation for at least 18 months prior to their diagnosis. They followed the patients from ADHD diagnosis for two years or...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 15, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder JAMA Karolinska Institutet medication mortality stimulants unnatural deaths Source Type: research

Genetic Factors Largely Shape Cold or Callous Child Behaviors at Younger Ages
Symptoms of callousness and emotional coldness in children —which can be risk factors for conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder—are more likely influenced by genetics rather than harsh or poor parenting, according to areport inAJP in Advance.The findings suggest that one-time interventions aimed at teaching better parenting skills alone may be insufficient, wrote Patrizia Pezzoli, Ph.D., of University College London and colleagues. “Rather than discouraging parenting interventions, these findings suggest that combining parent support with child-focused strategies targeting behaviors that may elicit neg...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 14, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

MRI May Predict Which Patients Will Develop Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia
A neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI) may successfully predict which patients with first-episode psychosis will eventually develop treatment-resistant schizophrenia, according to astudy published today inAJP in Advance. Neuromelanin is a brain pigment that is a by-product of dopamine metabolism and therefore can be a visual indicator of healthy dopamine functioning.“[T]here is an urgent need for markers to identify treatment nonresponders in schizophrenia at an early stage and facilitate timely initiation of clozapine, the only antipsychotic with proven efficacy in nonresponders,” wrote Marieke van der Pluijm, Ph.D., o...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 13, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: American Journal of Psychiatry biomarker dopamine MRI neuromelanin responders schizophrenia treatment resistance University of Amsterdam Source Type: research

Many 12th Graders Found to Use Potentially Risky Products With “Legal” THC Variant
Astudy published today inJAMA reports that many high school seniors are using products containing Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a variant of the main psychoactive compound of marijuana, Δ9-THC. The analysis also showed that Δ8-THC use was elevated in states where recreational marijuana was illegal.“Gummies and other edibles, electronic vaping devices, and combustible flower containing Δ8-THC are marketed as providing a user experience comparable to marijuana in a product that is federally legal,” wrote Alyssa F. Harlow, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California and colleagues. “Δ 8-THC exposure may pose r...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 12, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: delta8-THC edibles gummies high school JAMA Jennifer Whitehill marijuana Monitoring the Future survey tetrahydrocannabinol Δ8-THC Source Type: research

One In Six Firearm-Related Homicides and Suicides In Women Found To Be Related to Pregnancy
About one in six intentional firearm-related deaths in women of childbearing age occur during or shortly after pregnancy, astudy in theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine has found.Naima T. Joseph, M.D., M.P.H., of Boston Medical Center and colleagues analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’s National Violent Death Reporting System from 2008 to 2019. Women aged 15 to 44 years who died by suicide or homicide involving a firearm were included. The researchers defined pregnancy-associated deaths as deaths that occurred during pregnancy or within one year of childbirth.Over the study period, th...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 11, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: firearm homicide interpersonal violence partner violence pregnancy public health suicide Source Type: research

Mirtazapine and Vitamin B6 May Be Best Options for Antipsychotic-Induced Akathisia
APA ’s Good Faith Estimates Survey: Please Respond TodayThe No Surprises Actrequires clinicians to provide patients who are uninsured or are insured but choose not to submit claims through their health plan with a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has asked APA for your feedback on efforts to comply with these requirements and any educational support you may need from CMS. The deadline istoday, March 8.TAKE SURVEYAkathisia —a feeling of restlessness that is often accompanied by movements like rocking or pacing—is a common side effect of antipsychotic medications. ...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 8, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: akathisia antipsychotic JAMA Network Open meta-analysis mirtazapine restlessness trazodone vitamin B6 Source Type: research

Veterans With PTSD May Benefit From Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Plus Virtual Reality
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may augment virtual reality –guided exposure therapy for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according tofindings published yesterday inJAMA Psychiatry. In the study, veterans with war zone –related trauma had significantly greater improvements in PTSD symptoms when receiving virtual reality combined with tDCS compared with veterans who received virtual reality and sham stimulation.Mascha van ’t Wout-Frank, Ph.D., of the VA Providence (R.I.) Healthcare System and colleagues recruited 54 participants (94% male; mean age 46 years) from the system who had PT...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 7, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: exposure therapy post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation veterans virtual reality VR war zone Source Type: research

Menopause Not Associated With Universal Risk for Depression, Review Shows
APA ’s Good Faith Estimates Survey: Please Respond TodayThe No Surprises Actrequires clinicians to provide patients who are uninsured or are insured but choose not to submit claims through their health plan with a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has asked APA for your feedback on efforts to comply with these requirements and any educational support you may need from CMS. The deadline isFriday, March 8.TAKE SURVEYThe transition into menopause by itself does not appear to raise the risk of depression in women, according to areview inThe Lancet. However, a subset of wo...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 6, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: depression depressive symptoms hormonal changes menopause The Lancet transition women Source Type: research

Frequent Cannabis Use Raises Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Frequent cannabis use may raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, astudy in theJournal of the American Heart Association has found.Abra Jeffers, Ph.D., M.S., M.Phil., of Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues examined data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) between 2016 and 2020. The BRFSS is an annual telephone survey of adults in which participants report on their health behaviors and whether health care professionals had ever diagnosed them with a health condition. Jeffers and colleagues drew data from 434,104 adults aged 18 to 74 years across 27 states and two territories to assess th...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 5, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: cannabis heart attack heart disease myocardial infarction risk factors smoking stroke Source Type: research

Low-Frequency TMS Improves Schizophrenia-Related Psychomotor Symptoms
Low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can improve symptoms of psychomotor slowing in individuals with schizophrenia, reports astudy inJAMA Psychiatry. Psychomotor slowing involves impairment of both fine and gross motor movements, making tasks like walking or talking difficult.“Psychomotor slowing often comes with multiple disadvantages, such as cognitive impairment, sedentary behavior, cardiometabolic risks, poor quality of life, lower subjective well-being, and impaired functioning,” wrote Sebastian Walther, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Bern, Switzerlan d. The researchers noted that there...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 4, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: clinical trial low-frequency movement problems psychomotor slowing schizophrenia TMS Transcranial magnetic stimulation Source Type: research

Pet Ownership Has a Positive Impact on Mental Health, APA Poll Finds
A large majority of U.S. adults who have pets feel that their pets have a positive impact on their mental health, according to the latest findings from APA ’sHealthy Minds Poll released today.“It’s easy to overlook the role of pets when we’re talking about mental health,” said APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., in anews release. “But for people who do enjoy the company of animals, they can be a source of companionship, comfort, love, and friendship. I routinely encourage adoption of a pet to my patients who struggle with addiction to alcohol, drugs, or technology. We’re also starting to see more and m...
Source: Psychiatr News - March 1, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Healthy Minds Keywords: pets mental health Morning Consult Petros Levounis poll positive impact Saul Levin Source Type: research

Speed of Response to Visual Stimuli May Be Biomarker for Psychosis
Individuals at high risk of psychosis who later develop a full-blown psychotic illness respond more slowly on a test of response time than high-risk individuals who do not, according to areport published today in AJP in Advance. The differences in response time correlated to noticeable differences in the brain ’s electrical activity.Yongqing Hou, Ph.D., of Southwest University in Chongqing, China, and colleagues used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity of 223 participants during a computerized test in which they were shown square targets with different colors. The task required participants to press th...
Source: Psychiatr News - February 29, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: biomarker EEG N2 amplitude psychosis psychosis risk reaction time visual stimulus Source Type: research

Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in'Bridge' Clinics Offers Some Advantages, Study Finds
Hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder who were referred to an on-site clinic that provides wraparound services during the transition to outpatient care (a bridge clinic) reported fewer overdoses and more refills of medications like buprenorphine in the weeks following discharge, astudy inJAMA Network Open found. However, the use of the bridge clinic was not associated with a faster discharge compared with usual opioid use disorder (OUD) care, nor did it reduce hospital readmissions or health care costs.“Bridge clinics offer presumed care advantages, including timely provision of [medications] while a long-term c...
Source: Psychiatr News - February 28, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Bridge clinic buprenorphine length of stay medications for opioid use disorder MOUD naloxone Vanderbilt Source Type: research

Risk of Self-Harm Higher in Adolescents With Stressed Parents
Children whose parents experience parenting stress and other parenting issues may have a higher risk of nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescence, astudy in theJournal of the American Academy of Child& Adolescent Psychiatry has found.Tove Wichstr øm, M.A., and Lars Wichstrøm, Ph.D., of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, examined data from 759 Norwegian adolescents at age 12, 14, or 16 years to determine the adolescents ' rate of nonsuicidal self-injury as measured by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment. The researchers also examined data provided by the adolescents ' par...
Source: Psychiatr News - February 27, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Tags: children hostility JAACAP parent-child interactions parental stress self-harm self-injury Source Type: research