Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

Each month in his online column, Dr Andrade considers theoretical and practical ideas in clinical psychopharmacology with a view to update the knowledge and skills of medical practitioners who treat patients with psychiatric conditions.

Chittaranjan Andrade, M.D., is a psychiatrist with more than four decades of experience. He is Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal and Senior Professor (retd) in the Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neurotoxicology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.

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JCP
Target Trial Emulation: A Concept Simply Explained
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

February 12, 2025

Target trial emulation can address study objectives that, for ethical or logistic reasons, cannot easily be examined in RCTs. Read this article to learn about the methodology and explore…
JCP
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Neuropsychiatric Adverse Outcomes in Children and Young Adults
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

January 6, 2025

Current research suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure is linked to many adverse outcomes, including psychosis proneness, psychotic-like experiences, internalizing and externalizing problems, attention problems, thought-related problems, social problems, impaired…
JCP
Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and ASD or ADHD in Offspring
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

December 23, 2024

Although the number of cannabis-exposed pregnancies (with ASD and ADHD as the outcomes) in world literature is small, cannabis use during pregnancy is a clear marker for adverse neurodevelopmental…
JCP
Understanding Meta-Analysis Using Gestational Exposure to Cannabis and Birth Defects
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

November 20, 2024

Dr Andrade discusses strengths and limitations of two recent meta-analyses on birth defects associated with cannabis exposure, with a view to providing readers with a deeper understanding of how…
JCP
Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Adverse Outcomes
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

October 30, 2024

This article focuses on the use of cannabis by women during the reproductive lifespan and specifically during pregnancy, and maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with exposure. Two recent large…
JCP
Regression: Understanding What Covariates and Confounds Do in Adjusted Analyses
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

September 18, 2024

Basic terms and concepts of regression analysis are presented, as well as three useful examples that involve readers in learning how regressions work.
JCP
Olanzapine and Mirtazapine for Cancer-Related Anorexia
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

August 21, 2024

Dr Andrade discusses two RCTs that investigated the utility of olanzapine and mirtazapine in addressing appetite loss in cancer patients.
JCP
Aerobic Exercise for Erectile Dysfunction
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

July 29, 2024

Dr Andrade discusses a recent meta-analysis indicating benefits of aerobic exercise in the primary prevention of erectile dysfunction.
JCP
Epilepsy, Antiepileptic Drugs, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, 2: Major Congenital Malformations
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

July 3, 2024

This article reviews evidence from a large registry, a population-based study, and a meta-analysis on the risks of major congenital malformation with untreated epilepsy and with exposure to antiepileptic…
JCP
Epilepsy, Antiepileptic Drugs, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, 1: Recent Research
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

June 5, 2024

This article provides women who have epilepsy and who use antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy with information about the many risks to which they and their fetus/neonate are exposed at…
JCP
Antipsychotic Medication Continuation vs Taper and Discontinuation
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

May 15, 2024

Dr Andrade discusses two studies that examined the outcomes of gradual, individualized antipsychotic dose reduction and discontinuation in patients with psychosis.
JCP
Diabetic medications and major congenital malformations
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

March 11, 2024

Diabetes is prevalent and poses risks to both mother and child during pregnancy. Evidence shows that diabetes is best treated during pregnancy, with insulin a first-line treatment and metformin…
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 6: Sedentary Time as a Risk Factor for Dementia
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

February 7, 2024

Dr Andrade reviews and discusses research on the relationship of sedentary behaviors to development of dementia.
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 5: Sedentary Time as a Risk Factor for Adverse Physical and Mental Health Outcomes
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

January 29, 2024

Topics include why sedentariness is important, how it is defined and assessed, and why sedentary behaviors are common in daily life.
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 4: A Guide to Understanding What to Do, How, and Why—Part 2
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

December 11, 2023

Subjects covered include how cardiorespiratory, muscle-strengthening, balancing, and other exercises benefit the heart, strengthen muscles and bones, improve balance, and reduce risk of falls and fractures. Guidance is provided…
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 3: A Guide to Understanding What to Do, How, and Why—Part 1
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

December 4, 2023

Dr Andrade gives practical guidance on aspects of exercise, with a focus on current and future health and longevity.
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 2: Benefits of Different Levels and Patterns of Activity
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

October 11, 2023

This article provides guidance about exercise for adults, including how many steps per day are enough, whether bursts of activity during the day improve health, and whether “weekend warrior”…
JCP
Physical Exercise and Health, 1: Terminology, Guidance, Benefits, and Risks
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

October 4, 2023

This article outlines current evidence and guidance for clinicians on encouraging physical activity in their patients.
JCP
Using Percentiles to Understand Standardized Mean Difference as a Measure of Effect Size
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

August 7, 2023

Chittaranjan Andrade, MD, explains the use of SMDs as a measure of effect size. A recent meta-analysis of the effect of ChEIs on hallucinations and delusions in Alzheimer and…
JCP
ChEIs for Delusions and Hallucinations in Alzheimer Disease and Parkinson Disease: Significant Benefits?
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

July 31, 2023

Chittaranjan Andrade, MD, takes a closer look at a recent meta-analysis indicating that donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine lessened both delusions and hallucinations in Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease.
JCP
Understanding Misunderstandings About the Relative Risk and Odds Ratio
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

June 5, 2023

Using simple concepts and arithmetic, Chittaranjan Andrade, MD, teaches readers how to derive and interpret relative risk and odds ratios.
JCP
Understanding 95% Confidence Intervals Around Relative Risk, Odds Ratio, and Hazard Ratio
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

May 31, 2023

Dr Chittaranjan Andrade explains, in simple terms, an important concept: how to interpret 95% CIs for statistics expressed along an exponential scale.
JCP
Gestational Exposure to Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotics and Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

April 3, 2023

Chittaranjan Andrade, MD, discusses recent studies on exposure to benzodiazepines and hypnotics and risk of major congenital malformation and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
JCP
Gestational Exposure to Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotics and Risk of ASD and ADHD
Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology

March 27, 2023

Dr Chittaranjan Andrade, MD, discusses two new studies examining whether gestational exposure to benzodiazepine and hypnotics increases ASD and ADHD risk.

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