Antti Alaräisäselle NARSAD-apuraha

This is what a NARSAD Young Investigator grant announcement looks like in Finnish! Congratulations to Antti Alaräisänen, M.D, University of Oulu, one of the 214 promising new researchers awarded grant funding.

Time-Lag Bias in Trials of Pediatric Antidepressants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

NARSAD Young Investigator Michael Bloch, M.D., M.S., conducted analysis of SRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) trials in subjects less than 18 years of age with major depressive disorder and found that trials with negative results had a significantly longer time to publication than trials with positive findings. Dr. Bloch and fellow researchers concluded this time-lag bias altered the perceived efficacy of pediatric antidepressants in medical literature. The team says time-lag bias is not unique to child psychiatry and reflects a larger problem in scientific publishing.

Improve your health by getting up from your computer

The surgeon general is encouraging everyone to get moving, even if it is just to take a lap around the office. Over 60 percent of adults are not participating in adequate amounts of activity and 25% of adults are not active at all. Due to their increased sedentary lifestyle, these people are at an increased risk for chronic health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Where as people who take part in physical activity can reduce their blood pressure and improve bone, muscle and joint health. Exericse can also reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Well Blog: A Child Psychiatrist Talks About Autism

Autism and the Holidays: Several readers wrote about their children with autism spectrum disorders and their children’s difficulties both with handling the sensory overload that comes with this time of year and with understanding the deeper meanings of the holidays. The challenges of children with autism spectrum disorders and the behaviors that result can be baffling for those who have had little experience with them. It can likewise be baffling for those who are familiar with autism, including parents and other family members, as well as the children themselves.

by Barbara Wheeler, NARSAD manager of communications and media relations