The saga of psychiatric serendipities continues…

We read Dr. Nasrallah’s editorial in the September 2013 issue (Current Psychiatry, From the Editor, “A saga of psychiatric serendipities…” September 2013, p. 7-8, 54; http://bit.ly/1dLiqhc) with great interest and excitement.

This is an important topic. When we consider mood disorders, John Cade’s discovery of lithium is another example of serendipity and a good measure of clinical judgment involving a handful of patients.¹ Given that most of these discoveries involve small numbers of patients in studies that do not have a double-blind control methodology, it is disappointing that, in today’s academic world, almost no journals will accept pilot studies or case reports that are not seen as crucial for a breakthroughs or discovery. We want to add our voice to that of Dr. Nasrallah and ask people to rethink this policy, which, ultimately, stifles creativity and the progress of new psychiatric treatments.

Ronald Brenner, MD
Chair

Subramoniam Madhusoodanan, MD
Associate Chair

Department of Psychiatry
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
Far Rockaway, New York

Reference
1. Cade JF. Lithium salts in the treatment of excitement. Med J Aust. 1949;2(10):349-352.

We read Dr. Nasrallah’s editorial in the September 2013 issue (Current Psychiatry, From the Editor, “A saga of psychiatric serendipities…” September 2013, p. 7-8, 54; http://bit.ly/1dLiqhc) with great interest and excitement.

This is an important topic. When we consider mood disorders, John Cade’s discovery of lithium is another example of serendipity and a good measure of clinical judgment involving a handful of patients.¹ Given that most of these discoveries involve small numbers of patients in studies that do not have a double-blind control methodology, it is disappointing that, in today’s academic world, almost no journals will accept pilot studies or case reports that are not seen as crucial for a breakthroughs or discovery. We want to add our voice to that of Dr. Nasrallah and ask people to rethink this policy, which, ultimately, stifles creativity and the progress of new psychiatric treatments.

Ronald Brenner, MD
Chair

Subramoniam Madhusoodanan, MD
Associate Chair

Department of Psychiatry
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
Far Rockaway, New York

Reference
1. Cade JF. Lithium salts in the treatment of excitement. Med J Aust. 1949;2(10):349-352.

We read Dr. Nasrallah’s editorial in the September 2013 issue (Current Psychiatry, From the Editor, “A saga of psychiatric serendipities…” September 2013, p. 7-8, 54; http://bit.ly/1dLiqhc) with great interest and excitement.

This is an important topic. When we consider mood disorders, John Cade’s discovery of lithium is another example of serendipity and a good measure of clinical judgment involving a handful of patients.¹ Given that most of these discoveries involve small numbers of patients in studies that do not have a double-blind control methodology, it is disappointing that, in today’s academic world, almost no journals will accept pilot studies or case reports that are not seen as crucial for a breakthroughs or discovery. We want to add our voice to that of Dr. Nasrallah and ask people to rethink this policy, which, ultimately, stifles creativity and the progress of new psychiatric treatments.

Ronald Brenner, MD
Chair

Subramoniam Madhusoodanan, MD
Associate Chair

Department of Psychiatry
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
Far Rockaway, New York

Reference
1. Cade JF. Lithium salts in the treatment of excitement. Med J Aust. 1949;2(10):349-352.