Valproate Linked To Decreased Brain Volume In Children Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder

mad in america

Zenobia Morrill

August 9, 2018

 

A recent study led by researchers at the The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston examined the effects of the drug valproate on brain volume in children diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder. Their findings, published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, demonstrate that brain volume decreased in the amygdala, a region associated with emotion processing functions, over a six-week period. 

 

Sodium valproate (VPA), commonly marketed under the brand names Depakote and Epilim, is a drug prescribed to individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While some studies suggest that valproate is associated with protective factors and plasticity in the brain, others do not support this finding. Trials conducted on animals have found that valproate may decrease brain cell growth in regions associated with memory and lead to cognitive impairment.

 Nevertheless, these studies have mainly examined the effects of valproate on adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The researchers of this study sought to investigate further the mechanisms of valproate in children diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). Neuroimaging scans were used to examine several brain regions pre and post valproate administration. The valproate was titrated to standard clinical levels over a six-week period.

“VPA was started at 250 mg orally twice daily, and titrated as clinically appropriate, on a weekly basis, to reach therapeutic levels (valproate 50–125 ng/mL),” the authors explain.

The sample included 14 children (mean age = 13.43 ± 3.05 years old), 10 of which were males. Criteria included participants that were not taking medication for the two weeks prior, except for lorazepam and ADHD drugs, and that participants met DSM-IV criteria for BD I, BP II or BP-NOS disorder. Other inclusion and exclusion criteria featured details about participants’ medical history and co-occurring diagnoses, among others.

Results demonstrated a decrease in brain volume over time across all participants in a region associated with emotion processing. This interaction effect between time and brain changes was significant in the amygdala.

These contradictory findings, the authors note, could be a result of varying dosages of valproate used across studies.

“Our findings may also appear against the neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects of VPA reported in the literature,” they write.

They suggest future research to explore these results:

“Future large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized studies with a longer treatment period (>12 weeks) are needed to explore this interpretation and confirm our results which are limited by the short treatment period. It would provide insight into the short and long-term effects of VPA on treatment response and brain developmental trajectory in PBD.”

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Cazala, F., Suchting, R., Zeni, C. P., Bauer, I. E., Mwangi, B., Wu, M. J., … & Soares, J. C. (2018). Effects of Valproate on brain volumes in pediatric bipolar disorder: a preliminary study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. (Link)


Thank You Ms Morrill and MIA, 
 

Mental Health First Aid: Another Psychiatric Expansionist Tool

Dr Phil Hickey

On December 25, 2016, the Baltimore Sun published an excellent article titled Drug companies prey on children, by Patrick D. Hahn, PhD.  Dr. Hahn is an affiliate professor of biology at Loyola University, Maryland.  Here are some quotes:

“I recently attended Youth Mental Health First Aid Training at a local public school. It was an eye-opening experience.”

“Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, sponsored by the National Council for Behavioral Health, is intended to enable teachers, parents and others in contact with young people to identify potential ‘mental illnesses’ in order to facilitate early detection and treatment by our mental health care system. My fellow attendees were surprisingly open about their own experiences with that system. One mentioned that her son became manic after being diagnosed for ADHD. Another said that both she and her roommate became bipolar after being diagnosed for depression. Neither our facilitators nor anyone else present pointed out that mania and bipolar disorder are toxic effects of medications commonly prescribed for ADHD and depression.”

“Our training manual didn’t say anything about this either, although it did claim that depression is caused by a deficiency of serotonin — a fable that by now has become as discredited as the phlogiston theory of chemistry. It also stated that mental health interventions are ‘evidence-based’ and ‘scientifically tested’ — neglecting to mention that much of that evidence is put forth by drug companies who have a fiduciary duty to do everything they can to maximize sales of their products.”

“So is all this a scheme to push more drugs to more kids? The 2013/2014 annual report for the National Council for Behavioral Health, titled ‘A Legacy of Excellence and Impact,’ gives us a hint. It lists the organization’s supporters as including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) along with no fewer than 12 different drug companies. Would these folks be ponying up the cash if they weren’t confident this program would increase sales? And do the parents and teachers who attend the council’s training program — no doubt with the best intentions in the world — realize that they are essentially sitting through an eight-hour infomercial bought and paid for by the drugmakers?”

“One out of 13 American children between the ages of 6 and 17 has taken a psychotropic medication within the last six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Meanwhile, youth suicide rates are at their peak going back at least as far back as 1999, while the number of children receiving disability benefits for mental illness is at an all-time high.”

Please take a look at Dr. Hahn’s article, and pass it on.  Mental Health First Aid is not a good thing.  Rather, it is just another psychiatric expansionist tool.

Continue Reading.

Thank You Dr Hickey 

And bookmark Dr Hickey's URL.

Researchers Faked Data On Epigenetics of Bipolar Disorder

madinamerica;

September 16, 2014

The British Journal of Psychiatry has issued a retraction of an article purporting to have identified evidence of the epigenetic aspects of bipolar disorder, reports Retraction Watch. The article was written by a team of researchers primarily in the medical and psychiatry departments at the University of Geneva, and included data that was falsified by Alain Malafosse, head of the university’s Psychiatry Genetics Unit.

The paper “Childhood maltreatment and methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 in bipolar disorder” was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in June 2013, reportsRetraction Watch, and “purported to find that people with bipolar disorder who had experienced more, and more severe, abuse early in life were more likely to show epigenetic changes.”

Retraction Watch quotes the BJP: “An investigation carried out at the request of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva has concluded that one of the authors (Alain Malafosse) fabricated methylation data. A reanalysis of the DNA reveals no significant correlation between childhood trauma and methylation of the NR3C1 gene. The original conclusions therefore no longer hold true and we wish to retract the paper.”

Retraction Watch also reports that Malafosse is under investigation for financial fraud.

Retraction appears for psychiatrist sought for arrest in alleged fraud scheme (Retraction Watch, September 4, 2014)

This entry was posted in Bipolar, Bipolar, Childhood Adversity/Trauma, Corruption & Accountability,Epigenetics, Featured News, Genetics, In the News, Research, Trauma/Distress by Rob Wipond. Bookmark the permalink.

Related Posts:

• Childhood Residential Mobility Linked to Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
• Genetics of Bipolar Disorder
• Childhood Trauma Linked to Bipolar Diagnosis, Symptoms
• Patterns of Adverse Childhood Events Associated with Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder
• Overlap Between Borderline and Bipolar

Thank You Mr Wipond and MIA.

23 Psych Drugs All The 'Primary Suspect Drug' CAUSING Bipolar Disorder

All 23 of the Psychiatric Poisons in our FDA Adverse Reaction section feature Bipolar Disorder and 19 feature Bipolar I Disorder, and 12 feature Bipolar II Disorder as FDA reported Adverse Reactions with each Drug Individually identified as 'The Primary Suspect Drug' responsible for that Adverse Reaction.















Abilify: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Adderall: Bipolar Disorder
Celexa: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Clozapine: Bipolar Disorder
Cymbalta: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Depakote: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Effexor: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Geodon: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Klonopin: Bipolar Disorder
Lamactil: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Lexapro: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Neurontin: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Paxil: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Prozac: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Risperdal: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Ritalin/Concerta: Bipolar Disorder
Seroquel: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Strattera: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Tegretol: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Wellbutrin: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Xanax: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder
Zoloft: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder
Zyprexa: Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar I Disorder/Bipolar II Disorder

Let the BILLING CODES Speak.

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.00: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
Unspecified
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.01: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
Mild
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.02: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
Moderate
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.03: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
Severe Without Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.04: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
Severe With Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.05: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
In Partial Remission
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.06: Bipolar I Disorder Single Manic Episode
In Full Remission

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.40: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Hypomanic
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.40: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic Unspecified
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.41: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic Mild
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.42: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic Moderate
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.43: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic Severe Without Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.44: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic Severe With Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.45: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic In Partial Remission
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.46: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Manic In Full Remission

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.50: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed Unspecified
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.51: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed Mild
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.52: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed Moderate
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.53: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed Severe Without Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.54: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed Severe With Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.55: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed In Partial Remission
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.56: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Depressed In Full Remission

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.60: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed Unspecified
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.61: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed Mild
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.62: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed Moderate
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.63: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed Severe Without Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.64: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed Severe With Psychotic Features
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.65: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed In Partial Remission
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.66: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Mixed In Full Remission

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.7: Bipolar I Disorder Most Recent Episode
Unspecified
DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.80: Bipolar Disorder NOS

DSM--IV-TR Billing Code: 296.89: Bipolar II Disorder


All 23 of the Psychiatric Poisons in our FDA Adverse Reaction section Also feature Anger and Aggression as FDA reported Adverse Reactions with each Drug Individually identified as 'The Primary Suspect Drug' responsible for that Adverse Reaction.