Top psych stories of November: Blood test for Alzheimer’s, alopecia tied to dementia risk

Healio Psychiatry’s five most-viewed stories in November highlight the link between alopecia areata and dementia risk, a blood test that may identify Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, and regulatory developments.

Alopecia areata may increase dementia risk

Patients with alopecia areata had increased risk for dementia, according to a nationwide cohort study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Read more.

Blood test shows promise for identifying risk for Alzheimer’s symptoms

A blood test may be able to identify individuals at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, according to research presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference. Read more.

FDA approves new virtual reality system for chronic pain treatment

The FDA has approved the release of EaseVRx, a prescription-use immersive virtual reality apparatus intended for patients aged 18 years or older who have been diagnosed with chronic lower back pain. Read more.

Neuromodulation therapy may improve treatment-resistant depression

A high dose of intermittent theta-burst stimulation with functional-connectivity-guided targeting outperformed sham stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Read more.

Many older adults use sleep medications every night

Older adults frequently used medication to treat sleep difficulties, according to study results presented at Psych Congress. Read more.