Experts hope the guidelines will improve diagnosis and foster research.

The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association has published new guidelines for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. This is the first update since the original guidelines were created in 1984.

The guidelines include several significant changes. First, they describe three disease stages: asymptomatic (preclinical), thinking difficulties (mild cognitive impairment), and dementia (Alzheimer's). This is the first formal recognition of what research has suggested for several years now — that Alzheimer's disease evolves gradually over many years and that physiological changes in the brain occur a decade or more ...

Although medication prescriptions are common, there is little evidence they do any good.

Surveys indicate that nearly half of children with autism spectrum disorders take some type of psychiatric medication — most often antidepressants, antipsychotics, or stimulants. Yet a federally funded study concluded that most of these drugs aren't effective at treating symptoms of autism spectrum disorders.

Although estimates vary, about one in 110 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) describes five: autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, Rett's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. ...

Weight gain and other unhealthy attributes increase risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of people with mental illness — in large part because of the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population. People with metabolic syndrome have at least three of five closely related conditions (see sidebar). Each factor is undesirable on its own, but when several occur together, they interact to raise the stakes even higher. People with metabolic syndrome are five times more likely than healthy adults to develop diabetes and twice as likely to develop heart disease.

Although metabolic ...

Delusional parasitosis may occur on its own or as a complication of another disorder.

It's enough to make your skin crawl, just thinking about it: insects, worms, fungi, or other pathogens colonizing a person's body. When there is no proof of actual infestation, however, the problem may be delusional parasitosis.

This poorly understood disorder has gone by different names over the years, including Ekbom's syndrome (named for the first doctor to identify the phenomenon as a disorder), organic hallucinosis, unexplained dermopathy, and delusional infestation. The most recent manifestation of delusional parasitosis may be Morgellons, in which people believe they have ...

Those with depression are more likely to lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Many elderly nursing home patients with dementia are being prescribed antipsychotic medications, despite evidence that they are twice as likely to die during treatment.

About one-third of people with depression are unable to find relief with antidepressants, even after trying several drugs. An intriguing study suggests that one reason for a disappointing response may be any of several over-the-counter drugs we use to erase a headache or knock down a fever.

Certain pain relievers — mainly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin), but also acetaminophen (Tylenol) — may reduce the benefits of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most commonly prescribed antidepressants.

Researchers at Rockefeller University initially conducted a series of experiments on mice genetically engineered to develop behaviors (such as helplessness) ...