Matthew Perry’s Ketamine Dealer Sentenced; TMS Win in PTSD; AI Psych Script Refills?

A federal judge handed down a sentence of 15 years in prison to a woman who pleaded guilty to selling Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023. Two doctors previously pleaded guilty over their involvement in providing the “Friends” star with the drug. (AP)

The CDC alerted medical professionals to the presence of medetomidine in the illicit drug supply; the veterinary sedative may increase overdose risk and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms.

An investigational oral form of brexanolone (Zulresso) failed to meet the primary endpoint in a phase III trial of postpartum depression, Lipocine announced. An intravenous version is approved for the condition.

Clozapine rechallenge following cessation for neutropenia can be successful in certain patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, U.K. data suggested. (Lancet Psychiatry)

Idaho’s experiment with cutting services for schizophrenia patients was linked to several deaths; state legislators have since voted to reverse the cuts. (New York Times)

Alto Neuroscience said it’s abandoning plans to develop ALTO-101 in schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment after the investigational phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor failed in a phase II trial.

Adding navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to intensive residential treatment eased combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and extended remission times in a randomized trial. (JAMA Network Open)

Both fear and enthusiasm continue to swirl around the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within the mental health workforce. (NPR)

Meanwhile, Utah approved an AI app for renewing patients’ psychiatric medication refills. (Futurism)

Recently established links between autism and Alzheimer’s disease could influence the way both disorders are treated. (Washington Post)

Authors of a cohort study argued that dementia in patients with extremely treatment-resistant schizophrenia is more likely a progression of schizophrenia rather than a separate neurodegenerative comorbidity. (JAMA Psychiatry)

A judge tossed out a lawsuit seeking to compel Elsevier to retract a controversial 2001 study that concluded paroxetine was safe and effective for teens. (Retraction Watch)

Suicide deaths in elementary school-age children over the past decade were rare but present across 30 countries, according to World Health Organization data. (JAMA Pediatrics)