Crossroads Newsletter Oct 2005

Lilly Warns of Suicidal Thoughts With ADHD Drug

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) --

Eli Lilly & Co. warned doctors and patients that children and adolescents taking the Strattera medication for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder may have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts.

About 5 million U.S. children, or 7 percent, are diagnosed with ADHD, which is marked by inattentiveness and impulsive behavior. In the past few years, some doctors have said the condition is over diagnosed, partly to keep active children calm in the classroom. Sales of ADHD drugs quadrupled between 2000 and 2004, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. report.

``While suicidal thinking was uncommon in patients on the medication during clinical trials, it is important for parents to be aware it can occur, and to discuss any unusual symptoms with a physician,''said Alan Breier, vice president and chief medical officer at Lilly, in a statement.
(more on this)

Trial Analysis Questions Use of Antidepressants in Children

Nature Publication
Erika Check,
Washington

Children taking antidepressants are unlikely to reap much benefit, according to researchers in Australia. They say instead that data from clinical trials, including some whose results helped win approval for the drugs, suggest that the treatment offers few advantages.

In a review published in the British Medical Journal, child psychiatrist Jon Jureidini of the University of Adelaide, Australia, and his colleagues reanalysed the data from five trials of popular antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs (J. N. Jureidini et al. Br.Med.J.328,879-883;2004).

“We found that a superficial look at the papers gives you one impression, but a deeper look gives a different impression, ”Jureidini says.“Very little benefit and the possibility of significant risks should equate to a good deal more caution in the use of the drugs.”

The review appears as regulators and patient advocates around the world are taking a closer look at the drugs' safety and efficacy in children. British officials have cautioned doctors not to prescribe them to young people, and US regulators have strengthened warnings about the drugs' potential to increase the risk of suicide.

Jureidini's group looked at five published trials of paroxetine, fluoxetine and sertraline in children. These drugs are sold as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft, respectively,in the United States,and as Seroxat, Prozac and Lustral in Britain, and were prescribed more than 6 million times to US children in 2002 alone.
(Complete Study)

Diet Gains Focus in ADHD, Autism
The Arizona Daily Star
3/19/2005
by Carla McClain

Brandon had always been a handful at home. But when he started school, his problems spiraled out of control.

Hyper. Disrupting the class. Unable to focus. Trouble learning to read. Trouble making friends. Teachers complaining.

It went on four long years - through third grade. Finally, a year ago, a local doctor stepped in and changed Brandon's diet. Took him off sugar, chocolate, wheat cereal, anything with red dye. Added a daily multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) supplements.

Bingo.

"The turnaround was tremendous," said his mother, Dellma Valles. "He's starting to sleep through the night; he's much more calm during the day. He's getting decent grades, and he's caught up in reading."

Unlike so many kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - the most common childhood psychiatric disorder in the nation - Brandon, now 9, has never had to take Ritalin or any psychoactive stimulant drug to curb his behavior....(rest of the story)

Acupuncture Reduces Impairment of Osteoarthritis

Medinews.com

A landmark study has shown that acupuncture not only provides pain relief but also improves function for people with osteoarthritis. These findings were reported in the December 21, 2004, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The multicenter phase III clinical trial involved 570 patients, age 50 and older, with osteoarthritis of the knee. Participants had significant pain in their knees the month before joining the study, had not experienced acupuncture, had not had knee surgery in the prior six months, and had not used steroids or other injections. They were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or participation in a self-help group. Patients continued to receive standard medical care, including anti-inflammatory medications such as COX-2 selective inhibitors, opioid pain relievers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)..... (complete story)

Early Warning System May Predict Alzheimer's

New York University
October 6, 2005

Researchers at New York University said today they have come up with a new test to predict who will develop Alzheimer's disease, years before the first symptoms appear.

Because four million Americans have Alzheimer's, the test could help future victims and their families prepare, and could even minimize symptoms of the disease.

Now, using state-of-the-art software, researchers say EEG can detect much more subtle changes that can be the first signs of Alzheimer's.

"It is our earliest warning system, we believe, that's telling us that dementia is a likely outcome in this individual for the next several years," Dr. Leslie Prichep of the New York University Medical School.
(Complete story)

Dietary Factors and Immunological Consequences

Science
September 2005
Timothy Hla

W hat we eat is arguably linked to how robust our immunity is, but confusion still reigns as to the molecular details of how various nutrients and components in our diet can specifically affect our complex immune system. An exciting paper by Schwab et al. shows a component of caramel food colorant III used in food products including beer and barbeque sauce, suppresses immunity by increasing the amount of a lipid in tissues of our immune system. This study is of considerable interest as it draws attention to dietary modulation of immune function by the regulation of lipid metabolism.

(complete article)

Electroencephalographic Biofeedback in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback,
Vol. 30, No. 2, June 2005 ( C 2005)
DOI: 10.1007/s10484-005-4305-x

Vincent J. Monastra,1,2,7 Steven Lynn,2 Michael Linden,3 Joel F. Lubar,4
John Gruzelier,5 and Theodore J. LaVaque6

Historically, pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) have been considered to be the only type of interventions effective for reducing the core symptoms of this condition. However, during the past three decades, a series of case and controlled group studies examining the effects of EEG biofeedback have reported improved attention and behavioral control, increased cortical activation on quantitative electroencephalographic examination, and gains on tests of intelligence and academic achievement in response to this type of treatment.

(complete study)

Pregnant women need fish for fetus

10/5/2005-

Women wanting to boost their babies' cognitive development need to tread a fine line in fish consumption to avoid excess mercury, suggests a new study on the risks posed by mercury and the benefits of omega-3.

A raft of studies has indicated that omega-3 has an important role to play in brain development, as well as the prevention of heart disease and certain cancers and promotion of bone health.

The researchers, led by Emily Oken, set out to study whether women's fish consumption when pregnant harms or benefits fetal brain development.

Oken determined infants whose mothers consumed more than two servings of fish per week but had mercury levels of 1.2ppm or lower had the highest VRM scores.

“Women should continue to eat fish during pregnancy but choose varieties with lower mercury contamination,” wrote the researchers in the October issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

In a white paper issued in July, the Council for Responsible Nutrition advised the general population to increase its intake of oily fish or take supplements to obtain protective intake levels of about 0.5g of omega-3 per day.
(complete study)

UK Autism Study Launched

Study of 14,000 children attempts to nail down causes and definition of autism
By Philip Hunter

British researchers have launched a major study into the effect of genetics and environment on autism, hoping to resolve controversies over the causes and definition of autism spectrum disorders.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has given a team from Bristol University £400,000 to study autism using data from the Children of the 90s study, a long-term project assessing the impact of environment and genes on the developing health of 14,000 children.
(complete story)