Introduction
Maurizio Fava, MD
Chair
Associate Chief of Psychiatry for Clinical Research
Director, Depression Clinical and Research Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Boston
Funding for Clinical Research/Honoraria: Aspect Medical Systems, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Cephalon Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Organon Inc., Pharmavite LLC, Pfizer Inc., Roche Laboratories Inc., Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc., Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Wyeth.
Funding for Clinical Research: Abbott Laboratories, Lorex Pharmaceuticals, and Lichtwer Pharma.
Honoraria: Bayer Corporation, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P., Lundbeck, Inc., Knoll Pharmaceutical Co., and Somerset Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Honoraria and Financial Interests: Compellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Discusses the unlabeled use of the atypical antipsychotic agents ziprasidone, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine for treatment-resistant depression.

Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Augmentation in Resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Maurizio Fava, MD
George I. Papakostas, MD
Attending Psychiatrist
Depression Clinical and Research Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Boston
Honoraria/Clinical Research Training Fellowship: GlaxoSmithKline co-sponsored with the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (American College of Neuropsychopharmacology/GlaxoSmithKline Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology.
Honoraria: Pfizer, Titan Pharmaceuticals.
Research Grants/Support: Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Discusses the unlabeled use of the atypical antipsychotic agents ziprasidone, risperidone, olanzapine, and questiapine for treatment-resistant depression.

Depression—Treatment and Unmet Medical Needs
Prakash S. Masand, MD
Consulting Professor of Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, N.C.
Grant/Research Support: AstraZeneca and Ortho-McNeil.
Grant/Research Support/Consultant: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Forest, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, and Wyeth.
Consultant: Healthcare Technology Systems, Inc., Organon, and Pfizer.
Speaker's Bureaus: Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Forest, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and Wyeth.
Financial Interests: psychCME, Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Atypical Antipsychotics in Nonpsychotic Disorders
Philip D. Harvey, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry
Attending Psychologist
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry
New York
Funding for Clinical Research/Consultant: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly.
Consultant: Janssen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, and Solvay.
Discusses the unlabeled use of risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole for the treatment of depression, Tourette's syndrome, and bipolar disorder.

This activity has been developed for psychiatrists and other health care professionals who treat patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

Inadequate treatment of clinical depression remains a challenging problem. Resistance to antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is common. Atypical antipsychotic agents are emerging as beneficial adjunctive therapy for treatment-resistant, nonpsychotic depression. Receptor-binding profiles prognostic of antidepressant activity have been supported by controlled clinical studies. Clinicians should understand the rationale behind augmentation therapy, its molecular basis, and the major role played by dose.

By reading and studying this supplement, participants should be able to:

• Describe the treatment challenges encountered in major depressive disorder.

• Discuss atypical antipsychotic agents in terms of mechanisms of action, efficacy, and side effects.

• Identify therapeutic areas other than schizophrenia for which atypical antipsychotic agents are helpful.

• Appreciate the clinical impact of dopamine and serotonin receptor activity and dose of antipsychotic agent.

• Understand the rationale supporting augmentation with antipsychotic agents in treatment-resistant depression.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Excerpta Medica, Inc., and Clinical Psychiatry News. Excerpta Medica is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Excerpta Medica designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Term of approval: September 2004–August 31, 2005.

Copyright © 2004 by International Medical News Group