New Data, New Directions In Management Of Mood And Anxiety Disorders - 8th International Forum For Mood And Anxiety Disorders Congress

Main Category: Anxiety / Stress
Also Included In: Bipolar;  Depression;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 16 Nov 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Clinicians and researchers from around the world attended this week's 8th International Forum on Mood and Anxiety disorders in Vienna, Austria to discuss the latest advances in the treatment of mood disorders.

A wide range of topics were included in this year's programme, highlighting the position of IFMAD in the congress calendar as a forum for breaking news, original thinking and debate.

Highlights from the meeting included the latest new treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. There was the first comprehensive presentation of data demonstrating that quetiapine has clear cut efficacy in major depressive disorder (MDD), including a study in the elderly, a difficult to treat and under-researched patient population. It is also the first time that an antidepressant has shown consistent early efficacy at one week in both MDD and bipolar depression. Delegates were excited at the announcement at IFMAD of the first EU licence within the EU for a treatment for bipolar depression.

This year's IFMAD reflected the rapid pace in which new discoveries are being made to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of mood disorders, the underlying neurobiology and the role of antidepressant treatment. Data evaluating a wide range of potential treatment directions were presented, including studies on the antidepressant agomelatine which targets melatonin and serotonin receptors in the brain. Other new data were presented showing that as much as 30 percent of unipolar depression has genetic or symptomatic predictors for the development of bipolar disorder and the delegates agreed that this was an important area for further research and the targeting of new treatments.

"We are living in exciting times for the treatment of mood disorders with new approaches and new targets being discovered and explored all of the time", said Professor Siegfried Kasper, IFMAD Chairman and Professor of Psychiatry, Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. "The breadth of data presented at this year's IFMAD has really demonstrated this, providing delegates with a comprehensive update of cutting edge advances in the field."

Other elements of the meeting included an important debate on the relationships between pain, anxiety and depression and the continuing problem of under-diagnosis of GAD despite its prevalence and significant burden to society. The vital need to ensure patient concordance in the treatment of depression and anxiety was discussed, including the roles of patient education, monitoring and the selection of treatments with minimal side effects.

"The format of IFMAD allows informal debate and brings together leaders in the field of mood and anxiety disorders to discuss the most pressing topics and issues of the moment", said Professor Stuart Montgomery, IFMAD Co-Chairman and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, Imperial College of Medicine, University of London, UK. "What sets IFMAD apart is that the meeting is friendly and small enough to allow that informal exchange of new and emerging data from around the world."

This year's meeting also marked the launch of the new IFMAD website, providing an online forum to ensure that clinicians and researchers can access the latest developments in mood disorders throughout the year. A full roundup of the 8th IFMAD meeting, including the final abstract book, will be available shortly on the new website, http://www.ifmad.org.

About IFMAD

IFMAD is a professional organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the latest international thinking and innovations in mood and anxiety disorders and promoting the exchange of ideas across the global psychiatric community.

IFMAD was founded in 2001 by Professor Siegfried Kasper and Professor Stuart Montgomery, supported by a scientific committee consisting of leading figures in mood and anxiety disorders from around the world.

IFMAD organises a yearly congress to promote debate and highlight the latest research in mood and anxiety disorders. Now in its ninth year, the annual event has become an important forum for the exchange of ideas and a key part of the congress calendar.

Sponsors of this year's IFMAD meeting included H.Lundbeck A/S, who also supported the development of the new IFMAD website through an unrestricted educational grant, Astra Zeneca, Pierre Fabre Medicament, Servier and Wisepress Ltd.

IFMAD

What is Anxiety?

For more information on what anxiety is and what to do about it, please see:
What is Anxiety? What Causes Anxiety? What To Do About It.