Massachusetts General Hospital | Psychiatry

In General: 05.06.11

In General awards and honors

Antidepressants and the effects on heart rhythms

Roy Perlis, MD, MSc, director of the MGH Psychiatry Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, explains a recent study published in the journal BMJ that he led and outlines what it means for people who take antidepressant medications.

Psychotic-like symptoms associated with poor outcomes in patients with depression

Among patients with depression, the presence of symptoms associated with bipolar disorder does not appear to be associated with treatment resistance, according to a study from MGH investigators. However, many patients with depression also report psychotic-like symptoms, such as hearing voices or believing they are being spied on or plotted against, and those patients are less likely to respond to treatment.

Mass. General study clarifies antidepressant contribution to arrhythmia risk

An analysis of the medical records of more than 38,000 patients by MGH investigators clarifies the contribution of citalopram and other antidepressants to lengthening of the QT interval, an aspect of the heart's electrical activity that – when prolonged – may increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias.