Lamotrigine is a synthetic phenyltriazine chemical with anticonvulsant and analgesic properties initially sold by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Lamictal. It was first approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of partial seizures in adults, and was subsequently approved in 1998 for the management of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome – a severe form of epilepsy …
Seroquel (Quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic engineered in the early 1990s by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. It was first approved by the FDA in 1997 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and was sequentially approved by the FDA in 2004 for the management of bipolar mania. Seroquel would also receive subsequent FDA approval in 2009 as …
Elemental lithium was first discovered by Johann August Arfvedson in 1817 and was later isolated via electrolysis of lithium oxide (Li2O) through a joint effort of William Thomas Brande and Sir Humphrey Davy. In the 19th century, scientists discovered that lithium was capable of dissolving uric acid crystals isolated from kidneys, and for this reason, …
Trichotillomania is psychiatrically classified as subtype of obsessive compulsive disorder characterized chiefly by the urge to pull out one’s own hair. The condition, also known as “hair pulling disorder,” affects upwards of 2.5 million individuals in the United States at some point during their lives. Onset of trichotillomania occurs most frequently between 9 and 13 …
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is regarded as a subtype of impulse control disorder characterized by impulsive, uncontrollable explosive outbursts of anger, aggression, and/or rage – sometimes accompanied by violence. To be considered intermittent explosive disorder, the explosive outbursts of anger must be triggered in situations and/or conditions in which such anger is unjustified. In other …
Impulse control disorder (ICD) is an overarching classificatory label given to psychiatric disorders characterized by inability to resist impulses (or urges) that yield deleterious implications. Examples of impulse control disorders include: compulsive gambling, incessant sexual encounters, and binge shopping. If unrecognized and/or unaddressed for an extended duration, an impulse control disorder may ruin a person’s: …
It is estimated that over 2.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with schizophrenia; this equates to approximately 1.1% of the population. There are many different types of schizophrenia, in fact, genetic clusters suggest it is 8 distinct diseases. Therefore not everyone diagnosed with schizophrenia has the same set of symptoms. Certain …