Dr. Janicak's primary research interests are in the area of the assessment and treatment of mood and psychotic disorders. He has recently conducted clinical trials on the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression and the use of various psychopharmacologic agents for the treatment of acute mania and schizophrenia. He has authored or co-authored over 450 publications and is the first author of Principles and Practice of Psychopharmacotherapy, now in its fourth edition. Dr. Janicak is the editor of the Psychopharm Review (formerly the International Drug Therapy Newsletter), and he serves on the editorial boards of Current Psychiatry, Psychiatric Annals, Essential Psychopharmacology and the Lexicon of Psychiatry, Neurology and the Neurosciences.

This symposium will review recent clinical trial results and use this information to develop optimal treatment strategies for the major psychiatric disorders.

The objectives of the symposium are for participants to 1) recognize the significant number of patients who are insufficiently responsive to initial therapeutic interventions, and 2) utilize available biological treatments optimally, including the first and second generation antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizing agents, anxiolytic/sedative hypnotics and device-based therapies. Upon completion of this symposium, participants will be able to develop treatment strategies based on the results of randomized-controlled, pragmatic and naturalistic trials tempered by the realities of clinical practice and to describe clinically relevant issues related to drug therapy, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug interactions.