According to psychiatrist Russell Margolis, clinical director of the new Johns Hopkins Precision Medicine Center of Excellence for Schizoaffective Disorders, the goal of the center is to create individualized treatment plans for patients, based on the idea that the disorders can be divided into three subtypes: Those who will likely respond favorably to traditional antipsychotics Those who do respond to clozapine but do not respond to traditional antipsychotics Individuals who do not respond to any drugs at all (ultra treatment resistance)

After supporting a number of significant clinical trials in psychiatry more than ten years ago, NIMH abruptly shifted its approach and began allocating 90% of its money to neuroscience. The policy is still in place even though this “has yet to deliver major clinical gains.” Clinical advancement has been halted as a result of the devaluation of mental clinical trials and the meticulously designed, essential methodologies they demand.

A small group of patients (n=34) using opioids for fibromyalgia were randomized to wear green, blue, or unfiltered glasses for 4 hours per day for 2 weeks. There was no impact on pain scores. Those wearing green glasses trended (nonsignificantly) toward lower anxiety scores. The green glasses group did have lower opioid use.

At the time of this study, in 2016, dementia was seen in 10% of those over age 65 in the US, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 20%, with increased risk for every 5 year advance in age. Risk was 80% higher for non-Hispanic Black individuals and approximately 40% higher in Hispanic persons, compared with White individuals. Dementia and MCI were inversely correlated with years of education, though.

In this randomized study of 1,000 patients with delirium admitted to the ICU, patients receiving haloperidol showed no significant difference in survival compared with patients who received placebo.

Dr. Steven Schlozman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, conducted research on the impact of horror films and found that those who enjoy them are the most terrified. It must be particularly difficult to turn away from a truly terrifying doctor on TV if fear is something that people naturally find to be a little exhilarating. Thankfully, these scary clinicians beloved by fans are fictional and entertaining to watch — of course, with your eyes covered.