Data Dose October 2024 #1
Dietary Supplements and Risks Lurking in Everyday Use
Pharmacovigilance specialists often encounter unexpected cases beyond prescription drugs, sometimes involving everyday substances like dietary supplements. Through the DrugCard platform, some particularly intriguing cases have come to light. This discussion highlights two notable examples: one involving caffeine, the world’s most popular stimulant, and the other focused on a trending weight-loss supplement. These findings might alter perceptions of these commonly used products. Read more...
Unexpected Brain Booster: Antidepressants Linked to Enhanced Cognitive Abilities
New research on SSRI antidepressants (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) suggests they may enhance specific cognitive functions, such as verbal memory. The study measured brain function in patients before and after taking the SSRI escitalopram and found a link between a decrease in one of the brain’s serotonin receptors and cognitive improvements during treatment. These findings were recently published in Biological Psychiatry and presented at the ECNP Conference in Milan for the first time. Read more...
Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, EMA re-examining marketing authorisation
The European Medicines Agency’s human medicines committee is currently re-evaluating the marketing authorization application for lecanemab, an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug that has demonstrated an ability to slow cognitive decline. Although lecanemab has been approved by regulatory bodies in the US, UK, and other countries, it did not receive approval from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) last July. Read more...
ChatGPT shows human-level assessment of brain tumor MRI reports
A study led by Yasuhito Mitsuyama and Associate Professor Daiju Ueda at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine compared the diagnostic performance of GPT-4-based ChatGPT and radiologists using 150 preoperative brain tumor MRI reports. Published in European Radiology, the study asked ChatGPT, two board-certified neuroradiologists, and three general radiologists to provide differential and final diagnoses based on clinical notes. The findings showed ChatGPT had an accuracy of 73%, while neuroradiologists averaged 72% and general radiologists 68%. ChatGPT's accuracy was 80% when using neuroradiologist reports, but dropped to 60% with general radiologist reports. Read more...